 | Elections: Greens raise cannabis as election issue |
 The Green Party today fired a pre-election shot by releasing a new private members bill that proposes $100 instant fines for people caught with up to 28g of cannabis or growing up to 5 plants. If people are caught using or growing cannabis within 100m of a school or other place that young people go to, the fine increases to $500. People aged under 18 will get a $100 fine and a referral to a drug education counsellor.
NORML welcomed the bill, saying any form of cannabis law reform would be an improvement over the current system, and because it addresses some of the negative side-effects of instant fines, as experienced in the Australian states, by removing the special search powers police have for cannabis, and setting the fines at a lower level that Australian states.
Nandor's Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Infringement) Amendment Bill is an attempt to appeal to more people - and MPs - who can see there is a problem now, but have been unwilling to support legalisation. The bill has little chance of being drawn from the (random) ballot before the election, but the Greens say they will be taking it into post-election negotiations with Labour.
Read more for reaction around the web. Discuss the new Green position in the NORML forum (registration required). Have the Greens watered down their policy too much, or is this a brilliant pre-election attack on the prohibitionist camp? Have your say!
 19/07/05 Nandor’s Bill is mainstream solution to prohibition crisis
19/07/05 Summary of Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Infringement) Amendment Bill
19/07/05 Full text of the Bill
19/07/05 Questions and answers on the Bill
 19/07/05 NORML PR: Nandor's Decrim Bill will reduce harms of prohibition
19/07/05 frogblog: Addressing the cannabis problem
 19/07/05 United PR: UF stands firm against Greens’ soft-sell on drugs
19/07/05 National PR: Kids must be protected from drugs
19/07/05 Reformation Testimony PR: Tanczos’ desire to see more misery
19/07/05 Phil Goff PR: Labour against legalising marijuana
19/07/05 One News: Tanczos moves on cannabis law changes
19/07/05 Newstalk ZB: No support on drugs bill from National
20/07/05 Jim Anderton: parties reject Green cannabis push
20/07/05 ALCP PR: Partial decrim a Cop-out
19/7/05 NZPA: Nats and United Future against cannabis law change
Tanczos moots cannabis law changes
NZPA 19 July 2005
Green MP Nandor Tanczos is proposing cannabis users be fined rather than face criminal convictions.
Mr Tanczos has drafted a member's bill to reform the law and believes he has found a way forward in the debate.
A summary of his bill says adults caught using the drug would get an instant fine rather than face a criminal conviction. New provisions would strengthen protection for under-18s.
* people aged over 18 with up to 28g of cannabis or 5g of cannabis preparation would get a $100 instant fine, rather than a criminal record;
* adults growing up to five small plants at home would get a $100 instant fine, rather than a criminal record, unless there was evidence of selling;
* in addition to existing provisions people younger than 18 found with cannabis would be fined and referred to an approved drug education provider;
* also, in addition to existing provisions anyone smoking or cultivating cannabis within 100m of a school or other area mostly used by youth would get a $500 instant fine;
* cannabis would be covered by the Smokefree Environments Act;
* selling any amount of cannabis would remain illegal and subject to the same penalties as at present;
* possession of more that 28g of dried plant or 5g of cannabis preparation would remain illegal and be subject to the same penalties as at present; and
* revenue gathered from cannabis infringement fines would be earmarked to fund drug education and drug treatment provision.
"I believe that the measures this bill puts forward will be acceptable to Labour and the New Zealand public," Mr Tanczos said.
Mr Tanczos is a self-confessed cannabis smoker who came into Parliament in 1999 campaigning for its decriminalisation.
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Green MP seeks to change cannabis law
New Zealand Herald Tuesday July 19 2005
Green MP Nandor Tanczos is proposing cannabis users be fined rather than face criminal convictions.
Mr Tanczos has drafted a member's bill to reform the law and believes he
has found a way forward in the debate. But United Future and National said
they would oppose the plan.
"I believe that the measures this bill puts forward will be acceptable to
Labour and the New Zealand public," Mr Tanczos said.
Mr Tanczos is a self-confessed cannabis smoker who came into Parliament in
1999 campaigning for its decriminalisation.
A summary of his bill says adults caught using the drug would get an
instant fine rather than face a criminal conviction. New provisions would
strengthen protection for under-18s.
Under the proposals, people aged over 18 with up to 28g of cannabis or 5g
of cannabis preparation would get a $100 instant fine, rather than a
criminal record.
Adults growing up to five small plants at home would get a $100 instant
fine, rather than a criminal record, unless there was evidence of selling.
In addition to existing provisions anyone smoking or cultivating cannabis
within 100m of a school or other area mostly used by youth would get a $500
instant fine.
Selling any amount of cannabis would remain illegal and subject to the same
penalties as at present.
Revenue gathered from cannabis infringement fines would be earmarked to
fund drug education and drug treatment provision.
United Future leader Peter Dunne said the bill was "thin-end-of-the-wedge
stuff" towards legalising cannabis and his party would oppose it.
"From day one, we have taken the position that drugs are a scourge on
society and ruin young lives, so we make no apology for taking a hard
line," he said.
National MP Judith Collins said the Greens' policy was dangerous and would
put children in danger.
"Any relaxation of the law will put more of our children at risk. A
National government will not legalise cannabis," she said.
Other proposals
include:
* in addition to existing provisions, people younger than 18 found with
cannabis would be fined and referred to an approved drug education provider;
* cannabis would be covered by the Smokefree Environments Act;
* possession of more that 28g of dried plant or 5g of cannabis preparation
would remain illegal and be subject to the same penalties as at present.
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