Pubdate: Wed, 14 Nov 2012
Source: Northern Advocate (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2012 Northern Advocate
Contact: http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/feedback/letters-to-the-editor/
Website: http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2929
Author: Craig Cooper

CANNABIS TOURISM NOT TO BE COURTED

Cannabis brings the prude out in me.

Which means that Norml New Zealand's warm welcome to cannabis 
legalisation in the US states of Colorado and Washington and call for 
a similar law change here leaves me cold.

In particular, the suggestion that some sort of cannabis tourism 
opportunity exists in Northland.

On page 5 today, Norml spokesman Abe Gray says Northland could be the 
ideal place for a legalisation trial.

He also suggests Northland "could vie for the opportunity to be the 
first in the trial".

The only trials in Northland involving cannabis should be in the 
local district or high court.

And yesterday I had the opportunity of listening to a Northland Inc 
presentation on the future of economic development in the region.

I was at a Whangarei Economic Development Group (WEDG) meeting, 
hosted by the Ruakaka Economic Development Group (REDG) at Ruakaka.

Amidst the acronyms, I didn't hear NORML or DOPE mentioned as part of 
our economic future.

Some of the tourism opportunities that exist in Northland indeed 
capitalise on the region's natural resources, but not dope. Cannabis 
is the root cause of a plethora of social issues in Northland.

As Northlanders we have to accept Mother Nature created remote 
terrain and a climate that is conducive to growing cannabis. But we 
don't have to accept its normalisation.

And we already have one legal drug that destroys souls and families - 
we don't need another.

Ask any police officer or social worker what they think about the 
idea of legalisation and I suspect you'll get a similar answer. There 
are arguments for imposing fines for possession of small amounts of 
cannabis, but even that makes my prude hackles rise as it is arguably 
another step towards normalisation.

Dope? Nope, it might be normal in Colorado and Washington, but not here.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom