“It’s a weed damnit!”
By Jeff Hampton
To view the video article, click here
Pro-cannabis campaigners are planning protests this weekend, following police drug raids yesterday.
They say garden shop workers have been charged with selling bottles of common nutrients and plant trays under the guise of drug offences.
The activists received plenty of support as they set up outside a Switched on Gardener franchise that was raided yesterday, part of a police crackdown on indoor grow shops.
Nationwide 250 people were arrested, many were charged with cultivation and possession of cannabis.
A 64-year-old is charged with selling a general plant nutrient, others for selling magazines and DVDs showing how to grow cannabis.
“It doesn’t take many smarts to be clever at planting a weed,” says cannabis campaigner Blair Anderson.
“Are they going to blank out the sun to stop people growing it? It’s a weed, dammit.”
A little set-to with police didn’t deter them.
“The right to protest is an ancient right, protected under Magna Carta,” Mr Anderson said.
“It’s not just 250 people busted yesterday, but their families too will be absolutely gutted by what is happening,” says Kevin O’Connell of the Legalise Cannabis Party.
The raids targeted Switched on Gardener stores, as well as other smaller centres throughout the country.
Police claim the operation broke the cornerstone of the cannabis cultivation industry.
“We think it’s a significant hit on the commercial growing industry around cannabis,” says Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope.
Others, including Michael Appleby of the Legalise Cannabis Party, see it as a civil rights issue.
“The next thing of course is going to be the burning of books, isn’t it? If you’ve got any books on cannabis at home, beware of the knock on the door,” he said.
Those running the shops got bail but the conditions could lead to a significant fall-off in customers; anyone who shops there must provide photo ID which goes on a register police can inspect at any time.
Source: 3News.co.nz
Show Support for SOG: JDAY Auckland Protest/March
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To Confirm your Coming go here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105950146115157
Here is a Map / Directions / Objectives:
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Show Support for SOG: JDAY Auckland Protest/March
Lets Stand Strong Together and tell the New Zealand Government how we ALL feel about Cannabis Prohibition and the recent action taken by the New Zealand Police on (SOG) Switched On Gardner!!!
Join me at JDAY and lets Protest.
It’s about time we all stand up for what we believe in and what is really right!!!
Stop Locking our people up!!!
Arrests must stop!!!
This is getting out of hand and the Government are taking this too far!!!
1) Legalise Cannabis!
Tax The Profits!
2) Hemp for Victory!
3) Protect our Police!
4) Restore Respect For The Law!
5) Restore Freedom!
6) Help Our Farmers!
7) Heal The Sick!
9) Achieve Oil Independence!
10) Regulate The Black Market!
11) Keep Drugs OUT of Kids Hands!
12) Protect the Environment!
13) Put Dealers Out Of Business!
14) Eliminate Drug Violence!
15) Stop Jailing Peaceful People!
16) End The Drug War!
17) Free Our People!
18) Stop The Arrests!
19) Cannabis Smokers Are Not Criminals!
20) Protect Our People!
THE MOTTO:
**********
TAKE OUR LIGHTS!!! AND WE STILL WON’T GO AWAY!!!
Meeting at Albert Park Fountain (Middle of Park) at 1pm
Leave at 1:30 – 1:45pm for March down to Queen St.
Lets Make Sum Noise People! Lets Be Heard!
Message From Dakta Green:
***********************
Dear Cannabis Community,
It may seem like others have taken up arms against us, but cannabis community campaigner Dakta Green has already appealed for a truce on the War Against Drugs (y’know, the one that attacks ordinary Kiwi families).
Armistice Tour update as of 9.25pm Tuesday.
Dakta Green – founder of New Zealand’s only cannabis club The Daktory – reports he is very close to the goal of raising 2000 cannabis law reform submissions by this Friday.
He and fellow Daktavists will personally deliver the submissions they have raised on a two-round road tour – in MaryJane the Cannabus – of the North Island to the Law Commission offices in Wellington this Friday.
Staying true to the Daktory’s ethos of “Live like it’s Legal”, community leader and veteran cannabis law reform campaigner Dakta Green described today’s nationwide police raids as both disgusting and ineffective.
“They will have no effect and are a ludicrous waste of police resources and time.
“Unless the police have some way of turning the sun off there will be no shortage of cannabis.”
Dakta Green’s week and a half on the road has given him personal experience of the availability of cannabis in Heartland Kiwi communities.
“Our road trip has revealed that cannabis is plentiful, there’s tons of buds around.”
Stay tuned for further Armistice Tour updates…
https://norml.org.nz/postp105734.html&sid=5f92765373a9a1c8939e6d15af633883#105734
500,000 for a Public Referendum on New Zealand Cannabis Laws
http://www.causes.com/causes/472323?recruiter_id=131084711 /img]
I returned to Aotearoa/NZ a few years back after many years living O/S.. to find that its turned into Aotearoa/NaZi.. as far as the cannabis laws are going.
New Zealand’s Bill of Rights says: “The rights and freedoms contained in this Bill of Rights may be subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” S.5.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1990/0109/latest/DLM224792.html
How does the New Zealand Judiciary define the meaning of reasonable police power? To protect the rights of others? To protect you from me and me from you?
Police Minister Judith Collins, why is marijuana illegal? Why is it reasonable to criminalize this property called marijuana? “In a free and democratic society” how would the growers of marijuana cause injury to the rights of others? How do marijuana users cause injury to the rights of others relative alcohol users?
Perhaps the Police Minister should ask the New Zealand’s Attorney General why the marijuana laws are reasonable to use police power to deprive individuals of their property and liberty? The AG would have to demonstrably justify why marijuana is illegal.
Criminal laws do affect the security of everyone “against unreasonable search or seizure, whether of the person, property, or correspondence or otherwise.” S. 21
“Every person has the right to the observance of the principles of natural justice by any tribunal or other public authority which has the power to make a determination in respect of that person’s rights, obligations, or interests protected or recognised by law.”S. 27(1).
“Every person has the right to bring civil proceedings against, … the Crown, S. 27(3).
Maybe it is time for the Attorney-General to report to Parliament that the marijuana laws are unreasonable regulation of individual rights and are inconsistent with Bill of Rights S. 7.
Maybe it is time for lawyers defended the rights of defendants? “The right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.” S. 25. ©
Why is marijuana still illegal world wide ? Deprivation of rights under the color of law by law enforcement official. Every time some one is busted for marijuana that person is being deprived of liberty and property for political reasons, property discrimination.
Michael J. Dee http://www.ursm.us Windham, Maine USA 207-893-0287
The way this legislature & executive treats us peaceful citizens is disgusting. History starts repeating itself. In Nazi-Germany, this is how repression against a certain ethnic minority started in 1933. Welcome to the NZ police version of the Nazi GeStaPo.
I think its time that there was a 50,000 strong march in every city.. (like the anti-mining)..
J-Day is an annual protest, but I think it is largely ignored… unfortuatley only a small number are courageous enough to stand up & be counted..
As to S. Power’s comments on “no relaxing of drug laws on his watch”… I say “time to go, Simon” your views are sooo 20th century.. its the 21st Century now… time for the pollies to “WAKE – UP” Prohibition is only keeping the Police, Judges & Corrections ‘gainfully’ employed, but it sure isn’t stopping illicit drug use..
Kia-ora
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