TVNZ: Calls for laws to be softened
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.
Palmer says New Zealand’s international obligations require most of the commonly used drugs to be prohibited except for medical and scientific purposes but he says there is scope for different approaches within the framework.
The commission’s Issues Paper on Controlling and Regulating Drugs canvasses a range of options for dealing with offences including a formal cautioning scheme, an infringement notice regime and a greater use of diversion into education and treatment.
“These more flexible approaches are likely to be much more effective at reducing drug harm than simply punishing drug users,” says Palmer.
“They ensure law enforcement resources are directed at the most harmful drug activities while addressing drug users’ needs for education and treatment.”
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Up to 15% of Kiwis say they have used cannabis in the past year.
Nearly half of all New Zealanders say they have used it some time in their lives.
The commission says those caught with a small amount of cannabis should be given a ticket, or a warning, rather than a jail term.
But the ideas have been quickly shut down by Justice Minister Simon Power.
“There is not a single solitary chance that as long as I am the Minister of Justice, we’ll be relaxing drug laws in New Zealand.”
But the NZ Drug Foundation says the law needs updating.
Drug Foundation spokesman Ross Bell says New Zealand’s drug law was written up when Robert Muldoon was still Prime Minister.
“That’s how out of touch our drug law is, we need to modernise our drug law, drugs have changed,” says Bell.
The commission’s report also looks at possible approaches to new drugs, such as party pills, that are not covered by the drug conventions and regularly come on the market.
“Currently these substances can be imported, manufactured and sold without any controls. This creates a real risk of harm to the public,” says Palmer.
The commission wants a requirement for manufacturers and importers to seek approval for a substance before it can be released onto the market, so they meet safety standards and they also want an age limit on all party pills.
But Power told ONE News that the government had no intention of changing the current arrangements concerning party pills.
You can see a summary of the Law Commission’s proposals here
Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/call-new-approach-drug-offences-3361320
The zeitgeist still controls us and people in power are powerless to change.
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS, GET UP STAND UP!
They could change if they weren’t fuckheads. Did you see the mug on Simon Power on TV? Scary backward inbred swamp spawn fuckhead!
I’m slightly confused… Is this good or bad.
It seems rather good that this group is calling for a redirection in drug laws but that Minister of Justice can’t be a good sign.
I can see him being very stubborn in the light of any facts presented to him as well.
GoGoDakta.
Simon Power is paid by the breweries!
Legalizing pot, grown at home for own use” is the best idea,would stop the criminals getting involved in selling, police can devote more time clearing NZ of “P”.
I`m sick of seeing our teens getting penalised for smoking dak, and yet they are free to kill themselves and others in alcoholic car crashes, the law is a ass!!!!
There has been some good coverage on Radio NZ on this topic, including some brilliant letters.
Nice to see, bearing in mind Simon Powers ‘head in sand’ approach.
also saw this great quote in the Dominions comments section
“The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this.” Albert Einstein, “My First Impression of the U.S.A.”, 1921
much aroha to all here
This is so typical – the 2 Ministers (Justice & Police) well entrenched in the 70+ year old Reefer Madness brainwash; but what do you expect from politicians of that party – thinking outside the well trodden square? No chance. So sad, really.
Unless ALL liberal spirits wanting to change these unfair and totalitarian laws vote the right way at the 2011 general elections it will be very hard to succeed.
Absolutely, I think its our duty as “aware” New Zealand citizens to spread the word of science and reason to our fellow countrymen (and women) until the 2011 general elections.
We need to promote as much debate as possible, and publicize the issue through the media. Even if there are negative views expressed, they merely serve to illuminate the truth even more.
I think if we at least make the law clearer, so that people are allowed a certain amount at their homes for personal use, or a certain amount of plants then this will divert money from the actual drug dealing criminals so they will have to sell only hard drugs and it will create a clearer divide between people who use or grow small personal amounts and the people associated with criminal enterprises, thus our tax money will be even more focussed on eradicating the P dealing criminals and in effect the police will do a more successful job!
Awesome stuff
Civil Libertarian, you are right on the money. We can complain all we want but unless we persuade more of ‘middle’ NZ that cannabis isn’t the demonic drug that they think it is, unless we model responsible, productive lifestyles and share with our families and associates that we are smokers we ain’t gonna see the law changes we want any time soon. Now is the time, with the release of the Law Commission report, with the media presence of Dakta Green, and with an election a year and a half away, to make serious change in NZ. Write to the paper, get out and stick some posters up in your town, engage your locals (particularly local leaders) somehow! I’m in the Deep South; I wonder what Mayor Tim would say if questioned about law change… hmmm…….
-> I wonder what Mayor Tim would say if questioned about law change
His best work on the subject was in the ‘little red book’ a guide to young folk in the early 70′s that clearly understood that inhaling ‘was the point’. He was the deputy leader of the ALCP for a year (a point he seems to forget. )
Dont underestimate Invercargill’s potential to ‘get it’, its not so conservative as many would think, I mean it has Mayor Tim for gawd-sake.
I can imagine the local ‘uproar’ from the noisy few… if a sign magically appeared on (or even outside on the roadside of)a south Dee St building “Daktory Opening Soon”.
Write to Mayor Tim and ask if he would officiate at the opening (use that for delaying any commitment to an actual date)
Write to the ILT and ask to meet with them to cooperatively select a venue (location) that would not compromise safety of alcohol sales. Provide a copy the first chapter of “Marijauna is SAFER, are we driving people to drink!” (saferchoice.org) Yadda Yadda!
Copy ALAC.
That would spark up the debate. Then write to the newspaper. Give ‘change’ a local angle and media will suck it up, and you have access to SKY broadcast right there.
I think you are all dumb for smoking drugs. You should all grow up and get jobs. It is funny you think the world will change just because you write messages on this forum while you sit around smoking drugs. As if a bunch of stoners would ever be able to put the pipe down long enough to actually make any progress. Keep dreaming those pipe dreams junkies while the rest of us work and get ahead! Mo
Since we are having the dumb fight…
Technically, this is a blog with comments, not a forum.
Considering you have already come to this site, I suggest you browse through some of our other content, as you doing so will prove that NORML does a lot more than simply ‘write messages.’
And since you want to generalize, and say all stoners are junkies, here is a list. This might help your undeveloped mind generate a few more brain cells. Many of the people featured would have been in movies you have seen, written songs you have listened to, or run companies you would have bought something from in your life; http://www.friendsofcannabis.com/directory/index.php?option=com_alphacontent&Itemid=58
As far as moving ahead goes; good luck with your dream of allowing organised crime to be funded, people to be arrested for smoking a harmless plant, and various forms of cancer go uncured.
the church that takes your money
and the pub that kills your body
the queen is dead
nothing in life is worth being or doing-ascend now!