 | NORML News: Tinnie shops vs. Coffeeshops |
 NORML News Summer 2003-4
Would legalised cannabis cafes better serve and protect than blackmarket tinnieshops?
There have been many media reports lately about tinnie shops selling P, often to children.
It is clear that the top concern about cannabis is use by minors. It is equally clear that the current law has failed spectacularly to limit teenage cannabis use.
The health committee's inquiry report found the current law is applied unevenly, unfairly and unreasonably and that cannabis law changes overseas have not been associated with increased use. It concluded that "the current prohibition regime is not effective in limiting cannabis use ... Prohibition makes targeting education, prevention, harm minimisation and treatment measures difficult because users fear prosecution. It also facilitates the black market, and potentially exposes cannabis users to harder drugs." (p. 57)
Dutch coffeeshops have resulted in "very low levels of cannabis use among youth and some of the lowest rates of hard drug addiction in the Western world."
Licensing sales outlets could mean "Education, prevention, harm minimisation and treatment services would be easier to promulgate including the promotion of safe cannabis use messages."
96 per cent of submissions to the cannabis inquiry supported law reform. Most called for cannabis to be legally sold to adults in Dutch-style coffeeshops.
The Government has said it will not introduce legislation to legalise cannabis, but hinted it would welcome a private member's bill being introduced.
With that in mind, we decided to put the rival policies to the test, and let you be the judge.
Law creates "gateway effect"
Latest research from the Christchurch School of Medicine confirms that the real cause of the 'gateway effect' is the law.
While the study found that there was a strong link between heavy and early cannabis use by young people and later using other drugs, the author, Professor David Fergusson, said that cannabis prohibition was not working. He said the cannabis laws needed to focus on reducing use by young people. The current cannabis laws were not working, and might be exacerbating wider drug use, he said. Because cannabis was illegal, to buy it, people had to get involved in the illegal drug culture where they were offered other drugs.
Massey University researcher Chris Wilkins confirmed that teenagers were becoming more exposed to methamphetamine through the tinnie house network.
Ethical Dealers
NORML is therefore stoked to hear of DAKS - Dealers Against Kiddie Sales. This group of 13 West Auckland cannabis providers has announced a policy of not selling to minors or near schools, and invited other dealers to follow suit. They have the support of the police, and us here at Norml. We already promote Responsible Cannabis Use, and now we're drafting some guidelines for Ethical Dealing. Here's some ideas that we'd like your feedback on:
- R18 unless with parent's permission
- No hard drugs
- No nuisance
- No violence
- No stolen property
- Fair weights and prices
- And of course, only the very best marijuana!
| Concerns | Tinnie houses | Coffeeshops |
| Are children able to purchase cannabis? | YES | NO |
| Could customers be offered other drugs such as P? | YES | NO |
| Can organised crime be involved? | YES | NO |
| Can minors be involved in distribution and sale of illicit drugs? | YES | NO |
| Are police able to inspect premises? | NO | YES |
| Are authorities able to control openinghours, locations, etc? | NO | YES |
| Is there any tax paid on sales? | NO | YES |
| Is there control over who, when or where cannabis can be sold? | NO | YES |
| And we have a winner... | 0/8 | 8/8 |
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