Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Marijuana use by seniors goes up as boomers age
February 23rd, 2010
Dakta Green
By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press Writer Matt Sedensky, Associated Press Writer Mon Feb 22, 4:08 pm ET
MIAMI – In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of red wine. A crisp copy of The New York Times, if she can wrest it from her husband. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night like clockwork, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana.
Long a fixture among young people, use of the country’s most popular illicit drug is now growing among the AARP set, as the massive generation of baby boomers who came of age in the 1960s and ’70s grows older.
The number of people aged 50 and older reporting marijuana use in the prior year went up from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent from 2002 to 2008, according to surveys from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“BOMBER” hits TVNZ
February 23rd, 2010
Dakta Green
The war on news” with Martyn “Bomber” Bradbury. Weekly TV show on Triangle/Stratos.September 2009. [Uploaded with official permission from Director and Writer]
Thanks Bomber. You speak for many New Zealanders with your criticism of Television New Zealand ‘Closeup’ story ‘Reefer Madness.’ (at 8.30 mins)
Medical marijuana protest planned for Obama visit
February 19th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
DENVER (AP) – Medical marijuana advocates plan to protest recent drug raids during President Barack Obama’s visit to Denver.
Obama will be in town Thursday campaigning for Sen. Michael Bennet. His visit comes two days after a man who was allegedly growing over 200 marijuana plants in his Highlands Ranch home was charged with a federal crime.
Colorado is one of 14 states that allow medical marijuana and the Obama administration has said it wouldn’t target people who were in compliance with such laws.
But Denver’s top federal drug agent says Colorado’s law isn’t clear and the Highlands Ranch grower appeared to be violating it by growing so many plants.
Agents have also confiscated marijuana in recent weeks from two labs set up to test marijuana used in dispensaries.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=133009&catid=346
Calif. Research Shows Pot Can Ease Muscle Spasms
February 18th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 17, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the medical benefits of marijuana confirm pot is effective in reducing muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain caused by certain neurological injuries or illnesses, according to a report issued Wednesday.
Read the full article here, if you pay for it…
Close Up staff investigated over marijuana claims
February 15th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
TVNZ staff under investigation for marijuana use tried to get photos taken during a smoking session deleted, according to people at the gathering.
But others who were present say the few images taken don’t show anything incriminating – and TVNZ does not have copies.
Three staff at TVNZ’s flagship current affairs show Close Up have been accused of smoking marijuana after filming a segment called “Reefer Madness”, which screened last Tuesday. A fourth TVNZ staff member was also present.
The story showed supporters of the movement travelling to Waitangi and featured interviews with campaigner Dakta Green, previously known as Kenneth Morgan.
Online debate about the show among pro-legilisation campaigners prompted complaints to TVNZ and the claim staff socialised and smoked marijuana with the campaigners after the story.
“Nobody should be punished by their boss simply for smoking cannabis”
February 13th, 2010
Dakta Green
“Nobody in New Zealand should be ever punished by their boss simply for smoking cannabis on their own time”, said Dakta Green today.
“So long as no-one is being hurt and no disturbance caused, what goes on outside of the job is no matter of the company or the employer”.
Mr Green was referring to the current investigation by TVNZ into claims that its staff smoked cannabis during a visit to Waitangi on the CannaBus with Dakta Green and members of NORML and the Daktory.
“NORML sympathizes with any employee in New Zealand who fears for their job because of private cannabis use, or who has faced consequences from their employer for having used cannabis”, Mr Green said.
Dakta Green said he knew of many people in the cannabis culture who felt upset about the way in which Close Up treated him in a segment aired last week. “Some have made formal complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, but my understanding is they only complained about the content of the show, nothing else”, he said.
“Any claims of wrongdoing alleged against the TVNZ staff in question are nothing but hearsay”, he said. “We enjoyed their company and I believe they enjoyed ours, but I can categorically say they never smoked cannabis with us on the CannaBus”.
“And besides”, Mr Green continued, “even if they had, so what? They’re adults! It’s only cannabis – a drug that’s far safer than both alcohol and tobacco”.
“I’m very sorry these people are being treated this way; particularly as it’s happened immediately following the Law Commission’s report recommending no more criminalization of cannabis smokers.”
Dakta Green said that such persecution is an infringement of basic human rights, something he plans to talk about more on the upcoming Armistice Tour 2010.
ENDS
Contact: dakta_green@thedaktory.org.nz
TVNZ probes claim staff used cannabis
February 13th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Television New Zealand is investigating an allegation that staff smoked cannabis while in Waitangi during a visit by drug law reform campaigners.
A report on a journey to the Waitangi Day celebrations by activist Dakta Green and others in the “Cannabus” bus featured on Close Up last Tuesday.
Mr Green is a leading member of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml).
The report featured scenes of drug-taking.
The Herald understands a complaint about the item included an allegation that four TVNZ staff took drugs with the Norml contingent in the bus after filming had finished for the day.
TVNZ: Calls for laws to be softened
February 11th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
A high powered legal team is calling for cannabis laws to be softened, with the penalties reduced for those caught with a small amount of the illegal drug.
The Law Commission also wants sick New Zealanders to be able to use marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The commission says large scale commercial drug dealing wreaks havoc in New Zealand’s communities and the law should continue to impose heavy penalties in these cases.
But President Sir Geoffrey Palmer says the Misuse of Drugs Act is over 30-years-old and patterns of drug use have changed markedly over this time.
Closeup TV 1
February 9th, 2010
Dakta Green
Tonight, Close up on TV1 had an article on Mary Jane, the Cannabus. They had based the story around it being following her trip up to Waitangi, but ended up spending most of the time showing every bad clip they could about the trip, and of ‘Dacktar’ Green! Yes, that’s right, they didn’t even bother checking to see how to spell it.
Though there is the presence of a balanced article, it seems to lack any any footage of support for the cause, other than members of The Daktory talking to the camera.
For those of you who haven’t read the text article, or seen the poor photography to go with, you can check it out here.
For those of you who want to check out the video, you can get that here.
Armistice Tour 2010
February 7th, 2010
Dakta Green
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7 February 2010
TO: News Media
FROM: NORML NZ and The Daktory
RE: Dakta Green warmly welcomed on Waitangi Walkabout
Cannabis activist Dakta Green received a rapturous Waitangi Day welcome yesterday with chants of “Free the Weed” from the mainly Maori crowd during a Waitangi walkabout.
Dakta Green was greeted like a celebrity while official Waitangi celebrations went on behind them, an enthusiastic crowd gathered around the Treaty flagpole to hear Dakta Green and NORML NZ President Phil Saxby launch the “Armistice Tour”.
“The Armistice Tour is about ending the drug war between the government and people of Aotearoa-New Zealand,” says Dakta Green. “We want to bring an end to decades of prejudice and hurt.”
NORML’s Cannabus (Maryjane) will tour New Zealand during the next three months, ending with a rally at parliament. “An Armistice means that neither side has to admit defeat. We start the tour with three proposed conditions for a just settlement of the drug wars:
• Adult use only- NZ has the highest rate of teenage cannabis use in the world
• Amnesty – stop arresting the people for cannabis (NZ has the highest arrest rate in the world for cannabis use)
• A regulated market – replace the uncontrolled criminal market with a regulated, taxable, cannabis trade.