Pubdate: Sun, 12 Apr 2009
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2009 New Zealand Herald
Contact: http://info.nzherald.co.nz/letters/
Website: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300
Author: David Fisher

CANNABIS CLUB TILTS AT THE LAW

A club for cannabis smokers has been openly flouting the law for
months, with hundreds of people a night turning up to buy and smoke
dope.

The "Daktory" has been operating from an Auckland warehouse since
November and boasts having 400 people on a busy night.

Those behind the scheme are involved in efforts to have the drug
decriminalised, and say they accept arrest by police is a possible
outcome of their provocative club.

One of those involved, Brian Borland, has taken a further tilt at
authority by registering a business through the Companies Office
called the Roaring Lion Cannabis Shoppe.

He says he will pay tax on any cannabis he sells through the
business.

As a promotional stunt, Borland has delivered cannabis plants to the
electorate office of Prime Minister John Key, and also to TVNZ and
TV3.

It follows a trip around the country by the National Organisation for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws group in its "canna-bus". Protests were
held in centres across the country where cannabis was smoked - and
overlooked by police.

Daktory manager Dakta Green, who changed his name by deed poll from
Kenneth Morgan, says police appeared to have been avoiding arrests
because it gave the protesters a platform to campaign from.

The club began operating in November, charging $20 a month to those
who wanted to become members. "It was a nice, secure place where
people can get good quality weed at a reasonable price."

Green says it proved so popular that the club - which was R18 - would
attract between 300 and 400 people a night, and membership reached
1500 people by Christmas. He would not reveal where he sourced the
cannabis but said the large membership meant a lot was sold.

It wound down in February for reorganisation, and is reopening this
week. This time, Green says it will not sell cannabis because "you can
get it anywhere".

When the Herald on Sunday visited, the warehouse featured dozens of
sofas, tables and bookcases, with an area for table tennis and a
bandstand. There were also dozens of bongs - used for smoking cannabis
- - and the occasional bowl containing shreds of the drug.

Borland said police were aware of his actions. A detective recently
rang to invite him to a police station to be interviewed about
delivering cannabis plants to television stations.

He answered the phone with a cheery "Roaring Lion Cannabis Shoppe",
only to find a police officer on the phone.

Borland was not charged over delivering the cannabis plants. Police
failed to return calls to answer questions about the club.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake