Leader’s cannabis stance opens rift

ACT leader Don Brash has opened up a rift in his party over the decriminalisation of cannabis.

Epsom candidate John Banks – the party’s ticket into parliament – yesterday expressed surprise at Dr Brash’s call.

And the former police minister said he could not support a relaxation of marijuana laws. “I’ve always been opposed to drugs and I always will be opposed to drugs,” he said.

ACT’s president Chris Simmons said decriminalising the class C drug was “a step too far” and was not likely to become policy.

But Dr Brash received a surprise backer in former Federated Farmers boss Don Nicolson, the party’s agriculture spokesman.

“Don Brash … is saying that the cost is prohibitive and we are not winning the battle.

Source: Chch Press, Read more

Opinion:

For a moment there, I thought New Zealand was finally going to pull its head out of hthe sand.

Then I saw John Banks name, stupid bastard. His views are so prehistoric, that indicates he should have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

When is the world going to wake up like some (all too few) countries. The Holland, Belguim and Portugal experience shows that the fears of decriminalising drugs are not the ogre they think. How many times does this have to be demonstrated?

Just for the record, I don’t have a vested interest in this argument; while I have had the opportunity, I have never been tempted.

The decriminalising of drugs can only reduce the usage. Consider Prohibition in the USA; it showed that once alcohol was prohibited, usage rose only to be reduced with the end of Prohibition. The evidence of the countries that have decriminalised cannabis have supported that theory. The problems that have been encountered in these countries have been created by the influx of users from neighbouring countries whose laws don’t allow cannabis.

Possible Uses

The result of deciminalising frees up overworked police, reduces prison populations, creates employment, generates taxes and reduces a criminal activity (takes cannabis out of ‘mafia’ style hands). There are a host of products that cannabis can be used for.

It’s not just the drug.

New Zealand people need to have the debate, a referendum. Bugger the prehistoric politicians who, as usual, are laughably out of touch with reality.

New Zealand has a chance to lead the world. Don’t blow it Godzone… remember, he created the stuff.