The man behind New Zealand's first cannabis club, The Daktory, was today jailed for eight months after appearing in the Auckland District Court. Dakta Green, who ran the west Auckland club where cannabis could be bought and sold freely for more than 30 months, was found guilty on three cannabis related charges earlier this year. The 61-year-old was sentenced to eight months for possession and supplying cannabis and three months for permitting his premises, The Daktory, to be used for commission of a crime. [continues 133 words]
Timaru man Peter Davy has found himself the poster boy for the medical marijuana debate. But as he faces a prison sentence, he tells features editor Claire Allison this wasn't how he wanted his life to be. In just over a week's time, Peter Davy could be in prison. It is a daunting prospect - not for him, he says, but for what it will mean for his partner. Tracey Perrin is severely crippled by multiple sclerosis. Davy is her partner and full-time caregiver. She relies on him for the simplest of tasks - getting out of bed, showering, preparing food. [continues 1830 words]
A noisy street demonstration organised through Facebook has been held to protest against the Rotorua court appearance of a man caught with cannabis at this year's Raggamuffin festival. Te Puke kiwifruit worker Douglas John McLeod, 42, was yesterday convicted and fined $150 in the Rotorua District Court for possessing cannabis, cannabis hash blocks and drug utensils including a pipe and a magnifying glass he used to light it. The charges relate to McLeod's being caught with the drugs and paraphernalia at the Raggamuffin festival at Rotorua International Stadium on February 5. [continues 472 words]
A noisy street demonstration organised through Facebook has been held to protest the court appearance of a Te Puke man caught with cannabis at this year's Raggamuffin festival. Kiwifruit worker Douglas John McLeod, 42, was yesterday convicted and fined $150 in the Rotorua District Court for possessing cannabis, cannabis hash blocks and drug utensils including a pipe and a magnifying glass he used to light it. The charges relate to McLeod being caught with the drugs and paraphernalia at the Raggamuffin festival at Rotorua International Stadium on February 5. [continues 148 words]
Supporters of a Timaru man facing jail over cannabis charges have staged a peaceful protest for him outside the Timaru Courthouse. Peter John Frances Davy, 51, is threatening to go on a hunger strike if he is jailed for possession of cannabis, cultivating cannabis, importing cannabis seed and unlicensed possession of a rifle. Dakta Green, who founded The Daktory, which promotes the medical use of cannabis, said NORML (National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Law) supporters left Auckland last Friday and arrived in Timaru to stage a peaceful overnight protest outside the Timaru Courthouse. [continues 211 words]
Police say there was no need for them to intervene when pro-cannabis campaigners lit up on the grounds of Parliament during a protest rally. Around 50 pro-cannabis campaigners descended on Parliament this morning, openly smoking cannabis joints and pipes. Senior Sergeant Scott Miller said police had acted in consultation with the Speaker of the House, Lockwood Smith, and a decision had been made to monitor the situation and act only if there was violence or an attempt to breach the barricades. [continues 237 words]
Sheathed in a cloud of smoke, more than 100 people have gathered on the New Zealand parliament's front lawn to promote the benefits of cannabis over its legal counterparts alcohol and tobacco. The protest was part of the Armistice Tour - a nationwide promotion of cannabis law reform. Despite the presence of police and parliamentary security guards many of those present were openly smoking cannabis cigarettes. Spokesman Dakta Green told NZPA cannabis was a more natural, healthier option than other drugs and did not fuel crime. [continues 292 words]
Sheathed in a cloud of smoke, more than 100 people gathered on Parliament's front lawn this morning to promote the benefits of cannabis over its legal counterparts alcohol and tobacco. The protest was part of the Armistice Tour -- a nationwide promotion of cannabis law reform. Despite the presence of police and parliamentary security guards many of those present were openly smoking cannabis cigarettes. Spokesman Dakta Green told NZPA cannabis was a more natural, healthier option than other drugs and did not fuel crime. [continues 292 words]
Sheathed in a cloud of smoke, more than 100 people gathered on Parliament's front lawn this morning to promote the benefits of cannabis over its legal counterparts alcohol and tobacco. The protest was part of the Armistice Tour - a nationwide promotion of cannabis law reform. Despite the presence of police and parliamentary security guards, many of those present were openly smoking cannabis cigarettes. Spokesman Dakta Green told cannabis was a more natural, healthier option than other drugs and did not fuel crime. [continues 292 words]
A pro-cannabis group has presented a unique solution to fears of alcohol-fuelled crowd violence at the Rugby World Cup 2011 - an amnesty on pot smoking. The suggestion was made during an Armistice Day protest in Parliament Grounds yesterday, during which about 100 supporters of legalising cannabis openly smoked joints, bubbled away on bongs and lit their pipes in front of police and security guards. Michael Appleby, the leader of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, proposed the Rugby World Cup amnesty, saying it would help prevent a repeat of the crowd violence demonstrated at Eden Park last weekend. [continues 351 words]
A pro-cannabis protest ended outside Wellington Police Station today with protestors smoking joints on the steps and pushing a smoking shopping trolley inside. The protest, part of the Armistice Tour - a nationwide promotion of cannabis law reform - began this morning with more than 100 people gathered on Parliament's front lawn to promote what they say are the benefits of cannabis over its legal counterparts, alcohol and tobacco. About 6pm the protestors gathered outside Wellington police station, where the "smoke bomb" was pushed into the foyer, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party candidate Julian Crawford said. [continues 524 words]
NEW Zealand's first cannabis connoisseurs' club will celebrate its second birthday next month as several other "pot" clubs look set to open across the country. Since opening in November 2008, the Daktory in West Auckland's New Lynn has gained more than 2000 fee-paying members who have got together to spark up within the Daktory's expansive kitted-out warehouse space. "I think it's achieved everything we've set out to achieve, ranging from drawing attention to the plight of the people within the cannabis culture, creating a rallying point for people who want to change this evil law and a cool place to hang out," said Daktory founder, Dakta Green. [continues 126 words]
ONE of four TVNZ staff accused of smoking marijuana with pro-cannabis campaigners is understood to be fighting for his job after telling colleagues he was involved. TVNZ received a complaint about a story, screened on Close Up on Tuesday, which followed cannabis-campaigner Dakta Green from Auckland to Waitangi. Part of the complaint alleged that TVNZ staffers smoked cannabis on the National Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml) protest bus at Waitangi, once filming had finished. It also claimed the state broadcaster's employees' actions had been captured on film and video. It's understood that when a reporter was confronted by more senior TVNZ staff about the allegations, he acknowledged his involvement and that of three other co-workers whom he identified. [continues 418 words]
TVNZ staff under investigation for marijuana use tried to get photos taken during a smoking session deleted, according to people at the gathering. But others who were present say the few images taken don't show anything incriminating - and TVNZ does not have copies. Three staff at TVNZ's flagship current affairs show Close Up have been accused of smoking marijuana after filming a segment called "Reefer Madness", which screened last Tuesday. A fourth TVNZ staff member was also present. The story showed supporters of the movement travelling to Waitangi and featured interviews with campaigner Dakta Green, previously known as Kenneth Morgan. [continues 299 words]
An Auckland man campaigning to have cannabis legalised has lost his bid to stop his drugs trial next week but says he is encouraged by comments from the judge. Dakta Green applied for a stay of proceedings on six drugs charges on the grounds that they breached his rights under the Bill of Rights Act. Judge Anne Kiernan said he had produced some persuasive arguments for the legalisation of cannabis but the court was not the right place for that argument to be heard. [end]
DAKTA Green - the man behind New Zealand's first cannabis-smoking club - - plans to defend fresh drugs charges after a police raid on the club last Saturday. West Auckland police raided the Daktory - where about 2000 members have met to buy and smoke cannabis for the last 14 months - after Sunday News asked police national headquarters what they'd do about the 59-year-old's plans to open similar clubs nationwide from next month. Green, who was already due to appear in court last week on other matters, faced four fresh charges resulting from the raid on his Delta Steet, New Lynn, home and Daktory club rooms. [continues 279 words]
Cannabis connoisseurs could be smoking in specialised clubs across Northland by the end of the year, says a drug-law reform campaigner. But Northland police say the plan is "extremely optimistic" and doubt the clubs would open, given that they are targeting drug offences in the region. Auckland man Dakta Green established the Daktory, which until only days ago had operated for over a year with members smoking the illegal drug hassle-free at a New Lynn address. Cannabis was sold and at one point there were 20 different strands available at the Daktory. [continues 460 words]
Cannabis clubs - where users flout the law by meeting to smoke and buy the Class C drug - may soon open nationwide. Next month founding members of New Zealand's first cannabis connoisseurs' club, Auckland's Daktory, plan to meet fellow users throughout the country to help set-up Daktories in other cities. "We have demand from virtually every city in the country," Daktory founder Dakta Green told Sunday News. "I would expect to see in the next 12 months Daktories in every major city in this country, every city should have at least one - 2010 is the year people within our culture are demanding changes throughout the world." [continues 1256 words]
The founder of New Zealand's first cannabis connoisseurs club says he will fight every drug charge he faces. Dakta Green entered no plea to four cannabis-related charges at the Waitakere District Court this morning. The 59-year-old has been remanded on bail and will reappear in court later this month. He changed his name from Ken Morgan to Dakta Green by Deed Poll. Green was arrested after police learnt of his plans to expand the club Daktory nationwide. The outspoken activist says he never pleads guilty to anything to do with cannabis. He believes cannabis prohibition laws will not last much longer in New Zealand. [end]
He calls himself Dakta Green. The 59-year-old has been jailed in California and New Zealand for cultivating cannabis but has no plans to change his ways. Dakta is a strong activist for law reform surrounding the drug and has been pushing for its legalisation since 1999. He's even set up a cannabis club in a New Lynn warehouse known as the Daktory. Dakta says marijuana use is widespread and causes less harm in the community than alcohol. "You have no idea how many people from all walks of life smoke cannabis in this country," he says. "The youngest I've smoked with was 14 because his parents were present and the oldest was over 80 years old. [continues 987 words]
