Pubdate: Sat, 01 Feb 2014
Source: Waikato Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Independent Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/486
Author: Mike Mather

ABOUT-FACE ON DOPE IN THE WIND

A Loosening of Cannabis Laws Overseas May Change Kiwis' Thinking 
About the Drug Say Experts. Mike Mather Reports.

New Zealand's traditional hard line on cannabis could soon be eased, 
says a leading academic who predicts a "sea change" is imminent.

His comments follow a profound change in how the drug, also known as 
marijuana and dope, is being treated overseas.

And an alcohol and drug counsellor says New Zealand is in the "stone 
age" when it comes to marijuana laws and that alcohol is actually the 
most dangerous substance in the country.

Waikato University academic Bill Cochrane, an associate researcher at 
the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, said a 
change in the way people perceived marijuana use and users could be 
coming, and a review of New Zealand's cannabis legislation was long overdue.

But Waikato Times subscribers polled are dead against any 
decriminalisation of the drug  with 67 per cent of 405 people saying 
they would not want the drug legalised.

But the group who want to see it legalised (17.8 per cent) and the 
group who might want to (13.1) are growing.

The majority of those surveyed in the past three days were over 50 
years of age  60 per cent  so the Times also asked readers of 
waikatotimes.co.nz what they thought, with the results the polar 
opposite. Of the 664 people who responded, 65.8 per cent wanted 
cannabis decriminalised, while 31.8 per cent were against it.

Laws regarding recreational cannabis use in some parts of the United 
States and Uruguay have recently been overhauled, which has 
stimulated debate in other parts of the world  including this 
country  over policing the drug.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei recently reaffirmed that 
decriminalisation of cannabis remained one of her party's policies, 
and would be on the table for negotiation in any postelection talks 
with the Labour Party, but was not a major issue to "fight to the death over".

Dr Cochrane said he believed the "net increase" in social harm from 
decriminalising cannabis would be minimal. "If people want to get 
themselves marijuana, they are able to do so with ease. For example I 
live in Hillcrest and there are at least a couple of tinnie houses in 
walking distance  so decriminalisation would make it only marginally 
more available than what it is now.

"Also, a lot of people have been pushed into criminal organisations 
they might not have otherwise been involved with."

Alcohol and Drug Assessment and Counselling clinical manager Roger 
Brooking said it was "high time" the Government read some of the 
research and came to its senses about decriminalising cannabis.

"I think New Zealand is still in the stone age on this one."

Mr Brooking said synthetic cannabinoids appeared to be more addictive 
and dangerous than the real thing, and alcohol was still the biggest problem.

However, he said marijuana could be addictive and interfered with 
brain development and learning in younger users.

Decriminalising cannabis could free up time and money in the justice 
system for more serious crimes, he said.

The Law Commission conducted a review of cannabis legislation in 2011 
and although it did not go as far as recommending decriminalisation, 
the review indicated a need to revisit the legislation "in quite a major way".

The Waikato District Health Board did not repsond to requests for 
comment on the drug's health effects by deadline.

[sidebar]

Inhaled?

Waikato politicians canvassed by the Times were staunch on the issue 
of marijuana law reform - and, in some cases, candid about their own 
use of the drug.

Hamilton East MP David Bennett said he did not think there was "any 
chance at all" of cannabis law reform.

Asked whether he had smoked cannabis he said: "I think I might have 
at the beach once. Someone was passing it around. I have never used 
it as such. We were just students then and I did not know what it was 
at the time."

Hamilton West MP Tim Macindoe said he had smoked marijuana.

"It was a long time ago. I was a student in the 80s and I tried it, 
along with everybody else."

However he did not think there was a need to change the law.

"I don't think there is scope for that. You just have to look at the 
strong feeling on psychoactive substances in Hamilton at present to 
see most people don't have a use for it."

Hamilton West Green Party candidate Mark Servian  who had "partaken" 
in the past  said it was likely people were confusing real cannabis 
with synthetic cannabis, which was more dangerous.

"What is happening with the Puff Shop in Hamilton East just 
demonstrates the daftness of the current regime."

Hamilton West-based Labour list MP Sue Moroney declined to say 
whether she had tried marijuana in the past, as she did not believe 
it was "relevant to the issue".
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom