Pubdate: Sat, 27 Jan 2001
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2001
Contact:  P.O. Box 181, 52-66 Lower Stuart Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
Website: http://www2.odt.co.nz
Author: Barry White

Note: Headline supplied by newshawk

LEGALISE CANNABIS

WHILE NEW ZEALAND ponders the brain drain, it seems that the gangs are 
doing their best to reverse this trend by not only employing chemistry 
students to make methamphetamine but by recruiting chemists from overseas 
too, ( ODT , 13.12.00). One can only wonder how many accountancy and law 
graduates might also be employed by gangs. I believe a legalised 
cannabis/hemp industry in New Zealand would not only reverse the brain 
drain but also attract overseas investment.

Interestingly, the same article also puts paid to the argument that gangs 
would resort to pushing harder drugs if cannabis was legalised. Evidently, 
it appears that someone forgot to tell the gangs about the arrangement. I 
wonder what influence the recent introduction of energy drinks might have 
had on the increased demand for speed.

More disturbing, however, was the report on police forfeitures of 
criminals' property ( ODT , 29.12.00) often as a result of cannabis 
"crime". Let's hope that New Zealand does not go the way of the United 
States where asset forfeiture is now a business worth billions of dollars a 
year. One can only wonder as to what incentive there is for governments to 
control crime when they benefit from it.

Barry White
Normanby
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