It seems Peter Dunne (June 13) is as misinformed about me, as much as he is about medicinal cannabis. I have not been part of Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party for four years. Peter Dunne is more interested in vilifying me, rather than proving my comments false. Because he cannot. When he claims my ignorance about his stance on medicinal cannabis, does he mean I'm unaware of his introduced bill, to test harm in drugs, that banned cannabis from being tested. [continues 134 words]
On May 2, TV3's Story ran a poll asking "should medicinal cannabis be legal in NZ?" , which returned a 97 per cent "yes" response. So what's the hold up? California has had medicinal cannabis for 20 years, without any negative outcomes. Twenty-four out of 52 states have legalised medicinal cannabis, and considering that the US was the sole driver in prohibiting cannabis. Quality isn't the problem, because as soon as you regulate the market (taking it away from gangs) you have quality product. Overdosing isn't an issue, as no one in the history of cannabis use has ever died from it.Our style of governance is a democracy, which means the will of the people is taken into account. But is it? When politicians were asked about law change, most responded with their own personal belief. Cannabis has so many benefits that it shouldn't be left as a "last resort" medicine. More than just the terminally ill can benefit from this amazing plant. Please push for the model currently used in America. Steven Wilkinson Takaka, May 2 [end]
I had the opportunity to speak to Nick Smith and Maryan Street at the Nelson markets. I asked them; with the amount of proof of the benefits of medicinal cannabis, why then are their parties dragging the chain on allowing people to use cannabis medicinally? Nick Smith rattled on about how cannabis causes throat and head cancers. I challenged him to produce any peer-reviewed studies to back his claim (which there are none). He muttered something about the studies he's seen from the Ministry of Health. Well, if it came from Peter Dunne, we know it will be dubious. [continues 116 words]
With cannabis linked to a drop in IQ points in adolescence, one would expect all those people claiming to want to protect our youth, to be calling for the immediate removal of prohibition, and replace it with an adults-only regulation. It is proven that teens can obtain cannabis easer than getting alcohol or tobacco. This is because both alcohol and tobacco are regulated, thus are policed. Cannabis is policed through prohibition, which is a known failed design. With police removing no more than 10 per cent of cannabis available, it is costing over $50 million annually. [continues 114 words]
Sir It's amazing how the ones receiving their fuel free from the tax payer, are the ones who are raising the price of petrol by five cents from April the first. It's sad that we can only elect people who have trouble seeing passed the next election. If they could see further, we'd see the government creating a fuel industry designed to produce fuel from biomass. Biomass can be converted to methane, methanol or petrol at a fraction of the cost of oil or coal. [continues 126 words]
Sir, I believe Julian Crawford (Mailbox, January 19), underestimates the dangers of the evil weed cannabis. If it wasn't so evil, why does the Government spend over $20 million a year to maintain the prohibition on cannabis? In 1938, Harry Anslinger, the director of America's narcotics bureau, spoke before Congress saying "Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind", and told of "coloureds with big lips luring white women with jazz music and marijuana". Cannabis is so evil that when the American Medical Association approached that same committee to protest against outlawing a plant that had been used successfully as a medicine for both adults and children for over a hundred years in America, it was ignored. [continues 96 words]
