Pubdate: Sat, 09 Aug 2003
Source: Dominion Post, The (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2003 The Dominion Post
Contact:  http://www.dompost.co.nz
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2550
Author: Vernon Small
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/New+Zealand (New Zealand)

NO DEAL ON DOPE, WARNS DUNNE

Government ally United Future is warning the coalition not to relax
cannabis laws, saying it would breach the spirit of their support agreement.

The health select committee is calling on the Government to reconsider
the reclassification of cannabis.

Its recommendations were carefully crafted to avoid breaching a deal
between United and the Government that had ruled out legislative change.

United Future leader Peter Dunne said that approach was "splitting
straws. The agreement we have with Labour says no legislative change,
but clearly that implies a broader interpretation - no change in the
legal status".

"Therefore the notion that somehow you can have this drug reclassified
by some other means to make it okay is fanciful."

He said senior ministers, including Prime Minister Helen Clark, had
said there would be no change. "I expect that agreement to be honoured."

Progressive leader Jim Anderton said there was no mandate for change
to the legal status of cannabis. The present Government would "not be
going soft on drugs".

The Government will respond formally to the committee's
recommendations within three months.

Green MP Nandor Tanczos, who advocates change, said reclassifying
cannabis to class 2 or class 3 would make medical use easier to
regulate, removing the police's right to search without a warrant.

He said the committee took into account the Government's deal with
United. It had made recommendations that did not require a law change.

The committee also urged the Government to examine allegations that
the police discriminated against Maori. It recommended that all
suicide referrals should be tested for traces of illegal drugs and
alcohol; measures of impairment by cannabis should be developed; and
there should be research into cannabis-related school stand-downs,
suspensions and expulsions.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin