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Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 1344 Location: Nelson area
Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 10:04 pm
More chance if Dunn's not in the picture, he's like a leach. Stick to anything. _________________ Regulation will set cannabis free
Freedom's just a TICK away - VOTE Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party 2008 then everyone's a winner
Contact me: steven@alcp.org.nz Party website http://www.alcp.org.nz
Joined: Dec 01, 2003 Posts: 2996 Location: Christchurch, NZ
Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 11:48 pm
Quote:
I am so one eyed these days , medical cannabis will dictate my politics , be it Nats , of ALCP . The Nats might be our best bet , labour sure have proved they aren't .
VOTE ALCP get the numbers to show the next Govt , (and it will be National I will do my best make sure of it.).that medpot and prohibition need revisiting ..
It will be interesting, the Nats are in a strong position already, they may be able to do a lot of things they want to without check. But because I have lived through several National governments now, even if they came out in public support (or even privatly) of medpot, I would not want to see them governing with a substantial majority. Though some are individually charming, as a pack they remind me of well fed hyenas
Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 1344 Location: Nelson area
Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:44 pm
Not my best letter, but I was rushed. But the title was in large text across the page.
Why the difference over tobacco and alcohol?
Dear sir.
I'm glad to see that teenagers are finally quitting the smoking habit, its such an insipid drug (Pp2 Record low for teenage smoking in top of south 31/05). This achievement must be put down to resources put into quitting programs. Helping teens quit cigarettes is a good investment. And rightly so.
Are we concerned for our teens using cannabis? Yes? Well the figures say different. Under prohibition 35 percent of 15-17 year-olds have used cannabis, while in the Netherlands where a type of regulation is practised, less than 10 percent of 15-17 year-olds have ever used cannabis. Is this how we protect our young, by acting without thinking. Are we aware of the harms we inflict in the name of protection? It's time to question the current regime, there are alternatives.
Tobacco is the only drug I know where the majority of users continually complain of wanting to stop but cant. Compared to cannabis where the majority of users use cannabis responsibly, with just a small percent who should be helped to stop. We need to understand that use, does not mean abuse. Adults should have the right to choose for themselves, we have the right to choose alcohol and tobacco, both far more destructive than cannabis.
Steven Wilkinson _________________ Regulation will set cannabis free
Freedom's just a TICK away - VOTE Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party 2008 then everyone's a winner
Contact me: steven@alcp.org.nz Party website http://www.alcp.org.nz
LTEs in the Nelson Mail Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:06 am
There were a couple of good responses to National MP Nick Smith's reply to steveoh's "Cannabis for bio-fuel" LTE (posted May 24th) in last Tuesday's Nelson Mail.
However, the first sentence of the first LTE is a bit inaccurate:
Only Henry Ford made a plastic car using plant fibres, including hemp, combined with 30% resin binder (synthetic), and only Ford made fuel from hemp.
Diesel, on the other hand, invented the engine that bears his name, which he intended to fuel "by a variety of fuels, especially vegetable and seed oils" rather than the fuel that now bears his name, diesel oil.
Otherwise it's a good LTE and the title was in large text being the lead letter.
Coincidentally, I sent the Nelson Mail a letter about biofuels and Henry Ford the same day those were printed, however, I'm not yet sure whether or not it has been published.
The Nelson Mail
- Tues June 3rd 2008
Call for truth to be told over hemp's potential
Sir, Regarding Nick Smith's comments about cannabis-hemp in Friday's letters (May 23), it's timely to remind ourselves both Henry Ford and Rudolf Diesel both made cars from cannabis-hemp resin and fibre while using cannabis-hemp, among other oils, for fuel.
Reference to this fact can be found in the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer; chapter 9, Economics, Energy and Environment.
History shows us a long protracted propaganda and disinformation war against cannabis-hemp because it threatened the oil industry. Big business will do whatever it takes to maintain dominance and the oil industry has a long historical record of doing so.
Historic usage of cannabis-hemp reveals not a "dopey" idea but ingained ignorance and manipulated control that has become an irrational barrier to 21st century challenges.
Hemp is one of the answers to clean, green technology that could very easily revolutionise the way we live in our world, vastly reducing our eco footprint and carbon emissions, if only our politicians had the intelligence and the political will to move away from US fear-inspired protectionist propaganda.
The real threat of cannabis/hemp is that it is an efficient clean, green alternative that works.
Jenese Belzer, Nelson.
Sir, Nick Smith is wrong to promote escalating the war on cannabis (Mailbox, May 23). Dr Smith identifies the social cost of cannabis as being $444 million a year, when in reality he is quoting the excessive cost of enforcing its prohibition.
The best way to deal with the problems of hard drug abuse is to separate the cannabis market from the hard drug market and enforce R18 regulation. This way, the $444 million of taxpayers' money would be saved each year.
Dr Smith is also incorrect to state that cannabis hemp has no biofuel potential. It is actually the best source of biofuel, generating at least four times the cellulose of any other crop. I am also surprised that no elected party will mention this blatant fact. Perhaps in election year voters will vote for cannabis law reform.
BudBeard, Dunedin.
Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 1344 Location: Nelson area
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:19 pm
REGULATION WAY TO PROTECT YOUTH
A reply to Mr Kerby's attack on Jenese Belzer, and Julian Crawford.
Dear sir,
I commiserate with Mr Kerby. It is a sad sight seeing young teens on drugs: glue, cannabis or alcohol. (mailbox 13/06/0
If young teens are accessing cannabis, then prohibition has failed.
How many generations does it have to fail for us to collectively acknowledge this? Or to realise that regulation would protect young people, as well as removing a major funding source for the production of "P".
Remove cannabis from "gangs" hands and a large funding source for "P" manufacture dries up.
Cannabis has been with us for a long time, and shows no sign of going away, short of putting nearly half the country in jail and keeping a "good eye" on the other half.
Therefor we have the responsibility to manage the drug, and regulation fits that responsibility. It ensures our young people are protected, while allowing consenting adults the right to choose.
We all wish we could bring up our children in a "perfect" world, but its not perfect. So we should strive to educate them, and only using informed, honest facts on drugs.
This will help help protect them in a "non-perfect" world.
Criminalising people (friends and family) just to fatten gangs pockets isn't the answer. education, regulation.
Steven Wilkinson
Nelson Mail 18/06/08 _________________ Regulation will set cannabis free
Freedom's just a TICK away - VOTE Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party 2008 then everyone's a winner
Contact me: steven@alcp.org.nz Party website http://www.alcp.org.nz
Hemp for biofuel LTE Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:26 am
I thought this LTE had been rejected (it was similar to Jenese Belzer's LTE) so it was a nice surprise to see it in print.
Interestingly it was placed directly underneath a letter titled "Nuclear power seen as answer."
The Nelson Evening Mail
- Monday June 16th, 2008
Hemp for biofuel
Sir, MP Nick Smith dismissed the suggestion that cannabis can be used to create biofuel as "dopey" (Mailbox, May 23), and yet there is plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Hemp oil, a bio-diesel, is easily extracted from its seeds.
Furthermore, the December 1941 issue of Popular Mechanics featured an automobile that manufacturer Henry Ford "grew from the soil." With a tubular steel frame and plastic panels made from cellulose fibres (including hemp) combined with a resin binder, it was only two-thirds the weight of a steel car and yet 10 times as resistant to denting. Ford's hemp car would have been safer due to its lighter weight and tougher body, and significantly more fuel-efficient too.
Ford also successfully operated a biomass "cracking" (pyrolysis) plant in Michigan that produced bio-fuels such as methanol from hemp.
Unfortunately, the burgeoning experimental science of chemurgy, based on the premise that "anything that can be made from a hydrocarbon (petroleum), can be made from a carbohydrate (plant)", was strangled with red tape by the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act.
Seventy years later, cannabis prohibition has not only proved ineffective at preventing cannabis being used as a drug, it still prevents the use of cannabis as hemp.
Joined: Aug 23, 2005 Posts: 2291 Location: Queensland
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:30 pm
I liked the last part about prevents the use of Cannabis as Hemp.
STRAIGHT UP!
Nick Smith, Your fool do some actual homework before you open your mouth, you tosser.
Man you should see the anti drug forces i action over here, the media loves thrashing the issue to death.
"Drug SHAME"
"Openly SOLD in FAMILY STORES!"
in regards to Bongs etc, they are selling them as wine pourers, etc lol.
I can get me Cocaine snorters and mirrors, cases etc, razor blades.
I cant get any type of bong, Pipe, or smokeless pipe I want from 15 bucks right up to 75 bucks for a stainless one.
The Media is thrashing the shit out of the "SHAME", yet the general population could'nt give a toss!
No-one openly talks about it, but its everywhere, ive just stumbled across 2 more 50 bags in the last couple days, right now Im swimming in as much weed as I could afford!
Its just what it looks like, its a shambles, I would never take this kind of bullshit trim jobs back home.
Its not the nice, mellow, trimmed, buddy buds of home, but I guess its an ok sized 50 bag, generally a lot more than I would sell back home for 50, but then it's not the BUDS I had back home either.
It's more like bush grass, rather than actual pot.
It's certainly not skunky monkey. But it does the trick, glad I kept me a tinny for when i go home, cuz Im missing it. _________________ Hardcore 4 Cannabis since 2004
--------------------------------------
Vote ALCP in 2008!
Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 1344 Location: Nelson area
Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:21 pm
Got this letter printed in both the Nelson Mail and the Greymouth Star, I sent it to a few other papers as well. It doesn't flow that well. But I wanted to fill it with info....
Real cost of cannabis, anf The greymouth Star Cannabis 'costs'
Dear sir,
The beginning of May, Jim Anderton proclaims in a speech that illicit drugs cost society 1.3 billion dollars, 440 million of that, going to the cost to society, caused by cannabis. All the media ran with the usual headlines. Well its the end of June, and the whole report has been released. The media suddenly has gone quiet. I wonder if these figures have anything to do with that.
The tangible costs of cannabis, 425.5 million. Remove the amount spent maintaining prohibition through Police, Courts, Prisons, and Community Service, 115 million. Police hours spent dealing with cannabis equates to 185 full-time police officers, better used else where.
Remove the amount designated as "Drug production" 243.2 million, and we see a social cost of, not 440 million, but 67.3 million, and that's no even looking at the other cost closely.
Police remove about a third of all cannabis used in New Zealand, police claim they seized 33,480 kilo's worth, with a conservative retail value of 296 million. Cannabis managed through a regulatory regime can be taxed. New money for the economy, stupid. Don't forget alcohol (not included in the index) alone costs society 4 billion dollars.
Steven Wilkinson _________________ Regulation will set cannabis free
Freedom's just a TICK away - VOTE Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party 2008 then everyone's a winner
Contact me: steven@alcp.org.nz Party website http://www.alcp.org.nz
I wonder how Nic Smith and the other hemp knocker MP's feel about driving round in their new BMW's . Wonder if they know much of the interior panels and other parts are Hemp..
Wonder why they allow research on Hemp to be funded by the Govt , not that we hear much about Waikato Uni Engineer Dept Prof Pickerings development of new decortication techniques to process hemp .. only when it filters in from overseas .
Potshot and Steveoh ,
Its LTE like these that sure will help make a difference .. very hard to argue with simple straightforward facts..
good work.
Joined: Aug 23, 2005 Posts: 2291 Location: Queensland
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:43 pm
EXCELLENT LETTER Steveoh.
Absolutly, I doubt it even had a cost of 67 million on Socieity, Maybe they lost 67 million in "lost time" due to all the pot heads sitting around, not spending all their money on alcohol and a new BMW?
It's about time the market was regulated or taxed, whatever, anythings better than the current regime. _________________ Hardcore 4 Cannabis since 2004
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Vote ALCP in 2008!
One can see where all the tax payers dollars are wasted , especially in canterbury
One arrest after Twizel drug raids
The Timaru Herald | Friday, 20 June 2008
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An early morning operation involving 20 police in Twizel yesterday, resulted in a single arrest on drug charges.
Armed offenders squad (AOS) members from Christchurch and Timaru assisted officers from the Mackenzie District and Timaru in the searches of four properties early yesterday morning, according to Constable Carl Pedersen of Twizel.
Mr Pedersen said a 37-year-old Twizel woman was charged with possession of cannabis and utensils, and will appear in the Timaru District Court on July 8.
The AOS squad were on hand to assist with one of the searches as it had been thought staff might have difficulty getting in to the property. That did not turn out to be the case.
Mr Pedersen said it became apparent text messages were sent between Twizel residents soon after the police officers arrived in Twizel for the 5.30am briefing.
In spite of there being only one arrest, Mr Petersen was hopeful the operation would act as a deterrent to those involved with drugs.
The four properties searched yesterday were in both the urban and semi rural areas. They were not linked.
I guess he ( mr Pederson,) must feel real embarrassed. Iv never tried high country cannabis but if it grows any thing like the wool up there it would be of excellent quality. Too much isolation for country cops. They spend all their spare time cruising the highway handing out speeding fines.
Joined: Sep 24, 2005 Posts: 504 Location: new zealand
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:07 am
Jesus .............................. 20 cops, a whole lot of planning, probably at least half a day of work if not more for them all ....................... and ONE arrestt for cannabis.
I take it they have solved all the theft, property and violence crimes in the area to waste such a large amount of police hours for such a pathetic result.
The police might as well burn tax payers money in their fireplaces to keep warm.
solarpowered_candle
I had a rather interesting discussion with a senior cop earlier this year and when I read your post on Twizel and the fact a ring round had everyone making things safe..
He was suggesting the small town cannabis growers/users have a well organized network , any sign of a cop buildup even in the next town is well know long before they do the raid..
The trouble was the P labs were also in the loop , when the word goes out they get to hear.. HE commented that if the cannabis group were not concerned a warning would most likely not get to the P labs.. he was near on a supporter of CLR for this reason alone..
Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 1344 Location: Nelson area
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:27 pm
Hey Tony, maybe if you brought up regulation as an alternative to prohibition, then see how many "cops" were for that. I think if they were honest with themselves they 'd agree
If enough people start talking about Regulation as the alternative to prohibition, then it will eventually become the "alternative"
To win an argument all you would need to do, is get them to admit that Regulation would be better than what we have now, prohibition, which is a system that has consistently failed for decades.
easy argument and the best part is they don't have to be smokers to agree.
We have an environment in New Zealand, where our population is educated enough to use reason and logic.
Steven _________________ Regulation will set cannabis free
Freedom's just a TICK away - VOTE Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party 2008 then everyone's a winner
Contact me: steven@alcp.org.nz Party website http://www.alcp.org.nz
Steveoh,
with a bit of luck when Judge Jerry Paradis , one of the movers and shakers of LEAP comes down to NZ soon a few more cops might be encouraged to speak out.
Its actually not easy for them in the current climate.. even if they an alternative view that supports harm minimalisation the clobbering machine ensures they keep it to themselves.Its only selected senior ones , those on the many and varied advisory committees who adhere to politically driven agendas that get to have an opinon .
Or ex cops who have identified a commercial reason to support failed DEA policy .
A few well placed LTE when Judge Jerry Paradis visits might be a good move , he is travelling the whole country I gather.
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