Pubdate: Mon, 21 Apr 2014
Source: Timaru Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Timaru Herald
Contact:  http://www.timaruherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1039
Author: Audrey Malone
Page: 1
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

LEGALISE THE REAL STUFF CALL BY FOLEY

A former manager of the Community Probation Service in Timaru 
believes cannabis should be legalised and synthetic cannabis should 
be criminalised.

Kevin Foley said the legal highs being sold seemed to be inconsistent 
substances and people never knew exactly what they were going to be 
putting into their bodies.

He said there seemed to be greater consistency with natural cannabis.

"It would be much better to legalise cannabis," Foley said.

He said he believed it was unfair of central government to hand on 
the issue of legal highs to local government for regulation.

"Really a politician should bite the bullet, they wouldn't lose 
votes," he said.

Foley said the longer the Government "pussy footed" around the issue 
of legal highs, things were going to get worse.

"Give up our rights to buy legal highs for the benefit of the community."

Timaru district councillor and former police officer Peter Burt said 
he was against both synthetic cannabis and cannabis.

He believed that people should all be in the business of preventing 
and reducing harm of any sort in the community.

"My personal view is that synthetic cannabis is not necessary and is 
not in any way acceptable in any community.

"We are talking about a mind-altering substance that is being sold 
legally to people over the age of 18 years but that is available to 
just about anyone," Burt said. Further to that, there was enough 
addiction in society as it was and the use and abuse of legal highs 
just exacerbated this more, he said.

"I find it very hard to believe that any responsible person would see 
it as acceptable to sell or supply these substances in their communities."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom