Don Brash: "We should decriminalise marijuana"

[Brett]

Ohhhhhhhh really? (that's just one article on the subject)... Praps some of you one-eyed mutha fuckas need to revisit your archaic stance on drugs etc... ... yer as bad as the politicians who use it as a vote winning football. Drug use has and will always exist irrespective of it's legality... I'd suggest, as do the results of REAL research, that you start treating it more socially.

More recent studies are showing that use at an early age can lead to problems in later life, but that was based on rats. There are shitloads of studies around, some suggest that "drugs" (could be booze) are just triggers for pre-existing conditions.

But I agree that Brash is probably political footballing

Blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Utter crock. (except for the Brash playing political football bit). Never has legalisation of a recreational/mind altering (had to put that in there or some smart alec would suggest some clinical meds) drug had a beneficial impact on society and I challenge you to find reputable evidence that concludes otherwise. Edit: or are you referring to some specific social costs?

[Brett]

Are you saying that ACC should only be given if it's under certain conditions?

I agree the middle ground is tricky to find, but when the Right are screaming that it'll kill off NZ, I'd hardly say they're trying to find the middle ground in any way shape or form... even though they know the practice is common place across the country. So why not make some money out of it? the tourism $$$ alone will be worth it... then there's the boost to the economy from local taxation, after all the criminals already grow the stuff, so the supply chain is already there, as is the demand. The only thing not in place is the legality.

aye, it'll be cannabis that put the people in the halfway house It may well be something that they use, but it doesn't mean that that was the "cause" of their being in the place?

Don't get me wrong, I know it affects people in different ways (have seen it) and I'm not saying noone will be hurt because a person is using cannabis, but the negative hype that surrounds its use is drastically overstated.

As for freedom of choice, it is exercised every day, sometimes for "good" sometimes for "bad" and I'd venture that 99% of the "bad" things that go on around us aren't cannabis related...

Agree that there is some truth here...

[SPman]

It's been done elsewhere and has lead to many more users than before.

Portugal switched to this approach a decade ago, and it has been successful. Drug harm - addiction, problematic drug use, and associated diseases like HIV - has declined.
http://blog.soros.org/2011/08/portug...ization-works/

The police get to spend their time fighting real crime.

He is merely espousing what the Law Commission report on the misuse of drugs found.
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/project/re...port#node-2079

• Drug classifications to be made by Parliament on the advice of an expert committee, rather than the Minister by Order in Council. Which means no more sudden reclassifications because Peter Dunne or Jim Anderton saw someone having fun.
• Removing the current presumption that possession of more than a specified amount is for the purposes of supply. This effectively assumes the defendant guilty, and is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. Instead, they recommend a new offence of "aggravated possession".
• A presumption against imprisonment for "social dealing" (meaning supply to friends where there is no profit motive). The Law Commission recognises that this isn't a problem, and sticking people in jail for it creates more problems than it solves.
• Moving from prosecution for personal possession and use to a mandatory cautioning scheme. Instead of the government wasting money taking people to court for drug use, the police will warn them a specified number of times (depending on the class of drug), with the final warning including advice on addiction treatment.
• For those who are prosecuted following a final warning for personal use and possession, a presumption against imprisonment.
• Retention of warrantless search powers, with the exception of the power to search places in the case of class C drugs. So the police won't be able to invite themselves in if they "smell cannabis".

He's still a reactionary old dick though!

[SPman]

I know people that smoke and abuse both their partners and their kids.

Just substitute Drink, smoke cigarettes, eat fast food, etc etc etc.... A hardened? pot head is a dick head, regardless, just like all the other losers out there......

[James Deuce]

If he'd launched this from the platform of Finance Spokesperson for the Greens it'd be a winner. He just nuked ACT and his credibility. John Banks will be the leader of ACT before the election hoardings go up.

[mashman]

Blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Utter crock. (except for the Brash playing political football bit). Never has legalisation of a recreational/mind altering (had to put that in there or some smart alec would suggest some clinical meds) drug had a beneficial impact on society and I challenge you to find reputable evidence that concludes otherwise. Edit: or are you referring to some specific social costs?

See yer Edit ... yadda yadda some cultures yadda yadda shamen yadda yadda ultimate trust yadda yadda future of their people

[Winston001]

Damned if I know.

1. I think Brash is sincere in saying this is his personal opinion.

2. No way the rest of the ACT party will go along with decriminalisation so he'll have to drop it.

3. Rationally it seems stupid to treat cannabis as unlawful when a fair percentage of the population have used it without ill effect.

4. Policing would be more effective if they could forget about cannabis possession and dealing.

5. On the other hand, tetracannibol drains the brain's natural supplies of dopamine and in some people, this triggers mental illness. Which families and the rest of us bear the sad consequences for.

6. NZ is a signatory to international agreements on drug trafficking so changing our law is no simple process.


I used to be all in favour of legalisation. Now, looking at the few potheads still alive from the 70s and considering the welfare of my children...I honestly do not know.

[Coolz]

Weed,and thats what it is,has been around for over a thousand years without any problems.You have to search pretty hard in the history books to even find a mention of it.In the last hundred or less years booze barons have pressured goverments into making it illegal thus creating the underground culture we have today. Forbid something and it becomes more desirable.Isnt that one of the first lessons in the bible?Ask nearly 50% of NZ adults who have tried it.It is almost a right of passage.Whether you are for or against it is obviously being managed wrongly. The law is an ass and needs to be changed.

[mashman]

5. On the other hand, tetracannibol drains the brain's natural supplies of dopamine and in some people, this triggers mental illness. Which families and the rest of us bear the sad consequences for.

Do you mean Tetrahydrocannabinol? If you do, there was a doco I saw (BBC Knowledge, think I still have it on the sky box) that mentioned that THC could cause problems when used without the rest of the plant, but when they used the rest of the plant and it's naturally occuring ingredient CBD (Cannabidiol) they found that it all but cancelled out the detrimental affects of the THC, and vice versa. Same doco tested rats and found that mental illness was more prevalent in juvenile rats as the body and brain were maturing...

[James Deuce]

Weed,and thats what it is,has been around for over a thousand years without any problems.You have to search pretty hard in the history books to even find a mention of it.In the last hundred or less years booze barons have pressured goverments into making it illegal thus creating the underground culture we have today. Forbid something and it becomes more desirable.Isnt that one of the first lessons in the bible?Ask nearly 50% of NZ adults who have tried it.It is almost a right of passage.Whether you are for or against it is obviously being managed wrongly. The law is an ass and needs to be changed.

Yes, it has, and Hemp is really good for making clothes, paper, and rope, but Marijuana is a different beast altogether and the joint we smoke now is not the joint that was smoked at Woodstock. THC levels are multiples higher from the gentle weed of years gone by, thanks to deliberate selective breeding programs, hence the bigger effect on long term users, particularly in regard to increased incidences of paranoid schizophrenia related directly to excessive cannabis use.

Used in moderation, like most things (except sex of course) it has relatively few side effects, excluding those related to the inhalation of smoke and denser particulates. Your choice though bro.

[puddytat]

It was the Timber Industry in the U.S that originally got Marijuana criminalised....
Back around the beginning of last century,the Hemp industry was worth more than the timber industry, but the timber Magnates had invested gazzilions in new pulp mills to extract Cellulose & couldnt compete against the killer weed growers who were allround more efficient & cost effective in extracting fibre & cellulose....

Nothing what Lobbyists could'nt fix...

Reefer Madness.

[jazfender]

Brash passing a j would be like your dad joining twitter.

[StoneY]

Blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Utter crock. (except for the Brash playing political football bit). Never has legalisation of a recreational/mind altering (had to put that in there or some smart alec would suggest some clinical meds) drug had a beneficial impact on society and I challenge you to find reputable evidence that concludes otherwise. Edit: or are you referring to some specific social costs?

So the end of the mafia territorial wars over the bootleging of liquor was a step backwards dude?
The massive drop in drug related crime in central Europe when Amsterdam made it known it was being 'less observant' of its drug enforcement?
The change in cultural behaviour in the states throughout the US where its been either decriminalized or medicinally available?
The fact the cops in the UK are now able to issue a street warning as opposed to wasted time booking and prosecuting (and they consider Heroin a Class B)

Pull YOUR head in ya twat....there are shitloads of examples where relaxing the enforcement on social level drugs such as Cannabis has made a huge positive change.

By the standards enforced on pot heads, alcohol and tobacco need to be made class B substances and banned forever as well...cant have it BOTH ways, and for the first time ever in his political existence I find myself agreeing with Brash....on THIS topic anyway.

Be interesting to see if he wins any votes though...somehow I don't think he will.

[StoneY]

An angle a mate of mine takes on this (he wears a blue uniform coincidentally)

Select some of the more talented growers (he knows a few) set up proper growing factories and sites, license these guys to produce it, sell it via existing licensed substances processes (eg show your ID prove your old enough!)

ALL revenue gathjered and taxes collected goes to the Police Budget for real crime fighting!

Good idea that one

[nadroj]

Cannabis has been blamed for the death of an Inglewood motorcyclist who did not stop in time to avoid crashing into a tractor on the highway.

Engineer Julian Vincent Budd, 51, died from multiple injuries just before 11am on September 1 last year when he failed to react in time to the tractor in front of him on a straight at the top of Big Jim's Hill near Waitara on State Highway 3, Coroner Tim Scott said.

"I find Mr Budd had sufficient time to see the tractor and then brake and avoid the crash and that his slow reaction time can reasonably be considered to be due to the fact that he was riding his motorbike while under the influence of cannabis."

Toxicology tests found the 11mcg per litre of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Mr Budd's blood was equal to him smoking the equivalent of a single cannabis cigarette within two hours before his death, Mr Scott said.

The main psychological and behavioural effects were euphoria and relaxation, impairment of perception and cognition and loss of motor co-ordination, Mr Scott said.

"The dangers of driving after using cannabis are due to taking longer to respond to events, reduced ability to think clearly and reduced ability to pay attention," Mr Scott said.

The coroner found the tractor driver, Robert Prout was not at fault and bore "no responsibility for the crash".

Mr Prout was travelling about 20kmh on the tractor and ripper plough and was indicating his intention to turn right into 1392 Devon Rd.

He saw the motorcyclist in his rear vision mirror then, as he started to turn, he felt a sudden thump.

Mr Prout found Mr Budd lying unresponsive on the road and the motorcycle under the plough.

Resuscitation was attempted on Mr Budd by passers-by, including a retired nurse and a doctor.

On the arrival of paramedics, it was confirmed Mr Budd had died.

The crash investigation report by Constable Christopher Pelosi of the central region Serious Crash Unit found the crash occurred on a straight stretch of road in fine weather.

Mr Pelosi calculated that the first Mr Budd could have seen the tractor over the brow of the hill was at a distance of 160m.

There were marks on the road showing that the rider had attempted to brake.

If Mr Budd was travelling at or about the speed limit he would have had ample time to see the tractor, react and avoid it from 120m away, Mr Pelosi said.