 | archive: Nats and United Future against cannabis law change |
 NZPA, 19 July 2005
The Greens launched a bill today to partially legalise cannabis saying they were confident it would get support - but National and United Future won't be backing it.
Green MP Nandor Tanczos says his member's bill would allow users and growers of small amounts of cannabis to be fined rather than face criminal conviction.
"It doesn't go as far as I personally would like but it deals to the greatest problem which is the criminalisation of huge numbers of New Zealanders for something that around 80 per cent of under-25-year-olds have done."
The key features of the Greens' bill include:
# 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; and
# 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.
There would be provisions to refer youth cannabis users for drug education and cannabis would be covered by the Smokefree Environments Act.
The bill was an improved version of what was being done in South Australia and The Australian Capital Territory, he said.
Money from fines would go into drug education but Mr Tanczos said police search without warrant powers would be removed to prevent the fines being used as a revenue-gathering tool.
Mr Tanczos said he had canvassed MPs from all parties and believed the bill would pass if it went to a conscience vote - that is when MPs are permitted to vote how they feel rather than on party lines.
Asked if the bill could hamper post-election talks, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said all Green Party policy would be on the negotiating table and there was no priority order.
United Future has said preserving the illegal status of cannabis would be a requirement for any coalition agreement it was in but Ms Fitzsimons was unperturbed as she did not believe many of the party's MPs would be re-elected.
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.
"United Future is the only party that unequivocally takes drugs seriously and if we weren't here, cannabis would be legal today," he said.
United Future urged all parties to release drug policies so voters knew where they stood.
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.
"This is precisely the sort of dangerous agenda the Greens will pursue if they're allowed anywhere near the government benches in a worst case scenario coalition with Labour."
Mr Tanczos, who entered Parliament in 1999 campaigning to decriminalise cannabis, defended how quiet the Greens had been on the issue saying he had been out canvassing opinion around the country since the last election.
Ms Fitzsimons defended him.
"Nandor hasn't been idle during that time; there has been a (health) select committee inquiry into the health impact of cannabis which came up (with) very positive results, and he worked very hard on the issue in a number of different situations.
"This is the point where we've recognised this is something that we could get parliamentary support for."
She denied the drugs issue had caused discomfort in the party and said the caucus was unanimous in its support.
It was important voters knew what the party's policy was and Ms Fitzsimons did not believe it would detract from gains the Greens have made over the Zimbabwe issue.
"I don't think it's ever a risk to say we've been thinking about our policy, we've been listening to the public and we have now come up with a solution we think most people will be able to support. I think that's a positive, not a risk."
Mr Tanczos accused National of a knee-jerk reaction and said Ms Collins had clearly not read his bill.
"If she had, she would have recognised that it actually tightens cannabis law around children and young people," he said.
"At the moment there are no specific distinctions in law between adult and under-18 cannabis users, nor any requirement that under-18 users go to compulsory drug education, nor any specific punishment for adults who expose kids to cannabis.
"My bill does all these things."
Justice Minister Phil Goff said the Government was not going to support legalising marijuana and would not take any action that might promote its use.
"The police already have discretion not to bring charges for possession of small amounts of marijuana and use that discretion frequently," he said.
copyright NZPA
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