A Māori woman, who was jailed for cannabis possession, says legalising the drug would change the lives of many Māori for the better.
A referendum on whether recreational cannabis should be legalised is being held this election.
Gisborne resident Tricia Walsh says she went from being an abused child to being a drug addict. After she became hooked on cannabis, she ran into trouble with the law.
"Being had up for possession, being charged, going to prison," she said.
She adds that limited her opportunities once she left prison.
"You come out of prison, usually you go back to doing what you know, but you never get the opportunity to learn another way of living."
She says many Māori have similar stories, and the legalisation of cannabis could change their lives.
"It is racist because it's my people."
Māori are three-times more likely to be arrested and convicted of a cannabis-related crime than non-Māori, according to a report by the Prime Minister's chief science adviser Juliet Gerrard.
Even though Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won't confirm which way she's voting in the referendum, she says the injustice argument is something that concerns her.
"Yes it is unfair and it is wrong."
But wiping cannabis from the books "will not solve a problem across our entire justice system", she adds.
Under the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, people under 20 caught with cannabis wouldn't be convicted of a crime. Instead, they'd either be fined or receive a health-based response.
