Pubdate: Fri, 7 Aug 1998
Source: Evening Post (New Zealand)
Contact:  http://www.evpost.co.nz/
Author: Megan Lane

POLICE DELIGHT CANNABIS LOBBY

Cannabis campaigners are delighted that police are keeping an open mind
about decriminalising cannabis.

Assistant Police Commissioner Ian Holyoake on Wednesday told a
parliamentary inquiry into the mental health effects of cannabis that
police were open-minded about decriminalising it.

Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Partly leader Michael Appleby said "Isn't it
wonderful?" and Drug Policy Forum Trust chairman David Hadorn welcomed the
police stance.

"But I hope they mean what they say because they are one of the main
obstacles to law reform," Dr Hadorn said.

Police also presented figures which showed one in seven homicides were
committed while the killer was stoned.  But figures were not available for
murders committed under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

But Dr Hadorn said cannabis had a calming effect on most users - "it is not
a violence producing drug".  He said people over-using the drug should be
considered a health problem rather than a criminal problem.

Last week, the Ministry of Health told the committee that cannabis did not
pose a big health risk to users.

Tom Scott, author of anti-cannabis book The Great Brain Robbery, said
evidence showed the drug had a serious effect on adolescents.

However, he refused to enter the decriminalisation debate, saying education
was the only answer.

Both he and Mr Holyoake said traditional policing methods had not reduced
drug usage.

"The legal status of cannabis is irrelevant because the brain can't tell
the difference," Mr Scott said.

Police spent about $20 million a year on cannabis offences, out of the
police budget of $800 million.

Mr Appleby said decriminalising cannabis would free up police time and
resources for more serious offences.

"When you look at how many police we are losing, it [illegal cannabis] is a
waste.  It's a waste of court time, it's a waste of police time, it's a
waste of prison time.

"And if you can't keep cannabis out of prisons with all the fences and dogs
and guards, how can you keep it out of a free society?"

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