Pubdate: Sun, 04 May 2014
Source: Sunday Star-Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Sunday Star-Times
Contact:  http://www.sundaystartimes.co.nz
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1064
Page: A4

DRUG WARS AS CANNABIS USERS LIGHT UP IN PARKS

DRUG LAW reform campaigners have seized on the scrap over 
soon-to-be-illegal highs to argue for the legalisation of cannabis.

Thousands of New Zealanders openly smoked cannabis in public parks 
and domains yesterday during "J Day" celebrations.

The gatherings were organised by Norml (the National Organisation for 
the Reform of Marijuana) and the Aotearoa Cannabis Party, who used J 
Day to launch its 2014 general election campaign.

The national day of "celebrations" were held as debate rages over the 
future legality of and harm caused by synthetic cannabis. Last week 
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced the Government would 
introduce legislation to remove synthetic drugs from sale within 
three weeks until proven low-risk.

At Auckland's Albert Park, ALCP west Auckland electorate hopeful Jeff 
Lye said as synthetic cannabis products were still deemed legal until 
the legislation was passed, he did not have a problem with people 
using it. But he believed legalising cannabis would rid society of 
many of the problems caused by the current legal highs.

"If you were to legalise cannabis - then that will absolutely put a 
dent in it," Lye said.

" It might not kill it, but the people smoking legal highs [do so] 
because it [ cannabis] is illegal. Legalise cannabis and they will 
smoke cannabis."

Lye was looking forward to campaigning for cannabis

law reform in the lead-up to September's vote. The current laws 
criminalising cannabis smokers were "unjust".

Cannabis dealers openly sold their wares and cannabis smokers toked 
up without a uniformed police officer in sight, but about 20 security 
guards were present, watching on as dope was freely traded and 
smoked. One dealer sold small bags of cannabis at a table.

Another dealer, who would only identify himself as "John of 
Warkworth", said the time was right to make the personal use of 
cannabis legal. " They should legalise cannabis because it has been 
around for years. All this synthetic stuff hasn't been tested."

Not all sales in the park were illegal. A mobile doughnut stand was 
doing a roaring trade.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom