Mark Richardson has lashed out at the suggestion New Zealand should legalise marijuana for personal use.
A new survey from Massey University showed most people are in favour of legalising the drug for personal use. The most favoured regime for legal weed was home production and use only (27 percent) followed by a profit-driven market (21 percent).
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The AM Show host Ryan Bridge says New Zealand should just "go for it" when it comes to legalisation.
"Why not, Canada's done it. The sky hasn't fallen in, what's the harm?" he said.
But Richardson argued the drug would be just another vice to add to the list.
"It doesn't do us any good. Neither does sugar, neither does alcohol - these things we're outraged against," he said.
"We don't actually need it and sometimes if we don't need something we should say 'sorry you're not getting it' and then make sure they crunch down on those that are providing it illegally."
Richardson said he could maybe support legal cannabis if it were presented as an alternative to synthetics or brought in more tax, but at he didn't think that would happen.
"I'm not sure what the implications will be at the moment," he said.
"I just see it as another thing that's not good for our New Zealanders or our youth, we don't need it."
Bridge disagreed and pointed out New Zealanders have plenty of access to illegal marijuana currently and regulating the drug would be better.
"I guess the big question is whether young people can get their hands on marijuana at the moment," he said.
"[The] answer is of course they can and where are they getting it? Gangs."
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