Pubdate: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2003 Contact: http://www.stuff.co.nz/otago Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925 Author: NZPA Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) CANNABIS LAW WILL NOT CHANGE Goff gives assurance to United First Wellington: The Government gave an assurance in Parliament yesterday it would not change the legal status of cannabis, citing its agreement with United Future. The health committee is due to release its long-awaited report today on the health effects of cannabis. It has been investigating since late 2000. The Greens had hoped its finding would provoke a public debate leading to decriminalisation but any chance of that happening disappeared when the Government signed its support agreement with United Future after the last election. With the report about to be published, United Future MP Judy Turner asked Justice Minister Phil Goff if the Government intended changing the status of cannabis this parliamentary term, or introducing legislation to change the law in the next term. "I can categorically rule out any change to the status of cannabis," Mr Goff replied. The Government would carefully consider the committee's report, but that would not include the possibility of decriminalisation. Opposition MPs wanted to know what would happen if a Labour MP introduced a member's Bill to change the status - an unlikely event given the deal with United Future. Mr Goff said nothing could be done to stop any MP introducing a member's Bill and drug issues were usually decided by a con-science vote. Ms Turner said if a member's Bill was brought in, United Future would expect the Government to oppose it. "Clearly, we would expect the spirit of this key condition of the confidence and supply agreement to be honoured under all circumstances," she said. "The Government saw fit to block vote on matters such as anti-smoking legislation now before the House, so where there's a will, there's a way." So far, no MP has produced a member's Bill to legalise or decriminalise cannabis. Green MP Nandor Tanczos drafted one but has not put it in the member's Bill ballot. The Green party said at the weekend it would relaunch its campaign for cannabis law reform. Mr Tanczos, who says he regularly smokes cannabis as part of his Rastafarian religion, still hopes public opinion will swing behind law reform. "We need to treat personal use of cannabis as a health issue, not a crime," he said. "We need to control cannabis in an effective way. "It is clear that the current prohibition does not reduce cannabis abuse [and] does not limit underage use." - NZPA - --- MAP posted-by: Josh