Past Events

• J Day 2003 - Saturday 3rd May Marches and smoke-ins in over 200 cities worldwide, including Auckland, Levin, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin where pot-smoking activists invaded a police station. Full coverage of J Day 2003 can be found on our new website. For a list of J Day events around the world, please see www.cures-not-wars.org/cities.htm
• Chris Fowlie's world tour 2002
  NORML New Zealand President has now returned from his 6 month world tour researching cannabis coffeshops. Read his reports and photos from around the world.

• J Day 2002 - Saturday 4 May The call at J Days across the country was "Clog the Courts" urging New Zealanders arrested for cannabis to stop cooperating with the police and courts. Auckland featured Bassteppa Sound System, DJ Sensei, Nandor Tanczos, plus the infamous Grower's Ironman! Thanks to the Switched On Gardener, and Cannabis Culture magazine. Wellington featured bands, DJs and the Grower's Ironman. Christchurch featured Mars band, speakers, jugglers, stalls, prizes, prohibition-free zone! Thanks to Cosmic Corner, Gnome Grow and hydro Garden. Dunedin featured Zuvuya plus DJ's: Baden & Two Tone Tony (Satta Sound System), Mr J and Special K (Soundclash). View photos and reports from J-Day 2002

• NORML Conference & AGM 2001 was held at the Trades Hall in Wellington on the weekend of September 15-16. Read the full report.

• Cannabis Law Reform Inquiry 2001 - this Health Select Committte inquiry received 500 submissions and held hearings in 6 centres. We have comprehensive coverage of the hearings.

• J-DAY 2001 was supposed to be held on Saturday 6th May but weather distrupted the events planned in cities across New Zealand. Auckland was prosponed until Sunday 7th May when the speakers in Albert Park included NORML’s Chris Fowlie, ALCP President Les Gray, Medi-Cann medical marijuana activist Greg Soar and Nandor Tanczos MP. There were bands and DJs and a Grower's Ironman competition. Hamilton was cancelled and 2 girls that turned up were arrested by police for drawing on the pavement! Wellington was prosponed until 12th May when there were guest speakers, bands and DJs and a Grower's Ironman competition in Frank Kitts Park. The South Island was more lucky with the weather and events were held on 6th May. Christchurch had guest speakers, bands and more in Cathedral Square. Dunedin at The Octagon, featured guest speakers, bands and a traffic light with a leaf for the green light.

  J Days were also held at 125 more cities around the world, including Adelaide, Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, New York, Nimbin, Oslo, Paris, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and Zagreb.

• J-Day 2000 There were smoke-ins across New Zealand to protest prohibition and celebrate cannabis culture. In Albert Park, Auckland [featured King Kapisi, Cuba & Gizmo, Kaya, Jesse James & Sista Mystic, Dave Gideon, DJ Slowdeck, speakers included Nandor Tanczos MP, Dr Les Gray (ALCP) & Chris Fowlie (NORML)], in Frank Kitts Park, Wellington [featured Active Home Bass Crew, DJ Mu, The Blackseeds, Rainbow Country, speakers included Tim Barnett MP, David Hadorn MD & more. Afterwards there was a marijuana movie session at Memorial Theatre, Victoria Uni.], in Cathedral Square Christchurch [speakers included Tim Barnett MP, Rod Donald MP], and at Octagon, Dunedin. View photos and video from the Auckland J-Day.

• J-Day/Million Marijuana March, 1st May 1999
  About 2000 people gathered for a relaxed smoke-in at Albert Park in central Auckland. The sun shone all day as the crowd sat and listened to a wide range of excellent music. There was one arrest for offering a joint to a cop. Later 100 people marched down to the police station to protest, and then marched to Queen Street for some direct action openly smoking pot outside the cinema and sheltering from the rain. Read the full report by Chris Fowlie of NORML. The event was also reported in the NZ Herald.

• The Health Select Committee Inquiry 1998 into the Mental Health effects of Cannabis. This page has full coverage of all the news stories that appeared during the process of the inquiry. NORML made a submission to this inquiry. The inquiry is now finished, the final report said that the mental health effects of cannabis have been overstated and that the government should reconsider the legal status of cannabis.
  
  
• Global Anti Prohibition Days June 6 - 8 1998; to mark the United Nation's 'Special Session on drugs', groups all over the world organised events for the Global Anti Prohibition Days. In New Zealand we organised:
  • June 6: Rally & March up Queen St Auckland
  • June 6: Annual Harvest Party
  • June 7: Public Debate; prohibition vs law reform
  • June 8: Demonstration in central Auckland