Norml News Spring 2008 by NORML New Zealand Inc

RE RE-R -LA O UN LLED CH ED !

NORML

SPRING 2008

NZ$5.00

News

NEW ZEALAND MARIJUANA CULTURE . HEMP . MEDICINE . ACTIVISM . LAW REFORM

MEDI-WEED

POT POLICY

in Parliament

guide inside

DUNSTERDAM fights back

CANNABIS CUPS

Auckland & Otago

Nandor Tanczos

CANNABIS CANADA

talks ganja, politics & life outside parliament.

Welcome to Vansterdam!

On the road to Freedom

The Canna-Bus National Tour WIN a Vaporiser! www.NORML.org.nz

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

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NORML NeWS Vol 12, Issue 3: Spring 2008 ISSN: 1172-9074

40,000 COPIES PRINTED AUGUST 2008 P UBLISHE D BY N OR M L NZ INC.

PO Box 3307, Auckland, NZ. Phone: 09 302-5255 Fax: 09 303-1309 Email: news@norml.org.nz Website: www.norml.org.nz Editor & design: Chris Fowlie Contributors: Harry Cording, Jonathan Rennie, Chris

Fowlie, Pauly Paul, Dana Larsen, Nandor Tanczos, Brandon Hutchison, Abe Gray, Julian Crawford, StJohn, the Bush Doc and assorted rogues, rascals and recidivist recruits. Want to contribute? Send us your ideas, letters, photos, cartoons, comments, grow tips, recipes or tasty buds for us to sample... include a SAE if you would like your contribution returned. Thanks to our advertisers, contributors, distributors, IACM and drugpolicycentral.org for hosting our website. Advertising: 09 302 5255 | news@norml.org.nz Printer: APN Distribution: IMD ph 09 527 0500 Mailed free to NORML members (join on p49) and available while stocks last at selected outlets including:

WHANGAREI Pied Piper, Switched On Gardener SILVERDALE The Grow & Brew Shop DARGAVILLE B_Arch Wear AUCKLAND Cosmic Corner, Easy Grow, Erox, The Hempstore, Now & Then, Pipe Dreams, Real Groovy, Switched On Gardener HAMILTON Frankton Pipe Shop, Greens Office, Needle Exchange, Rota, Switched On Gardener OTOROHANGA Neveraes THAMES Boot’s N All, Crystal Ball Clinic, This Time Around TAURANGA Curiosity, NZPC, Switched On Gardener MT MAUNGANUI Antipodes, Nemms TE PUKE Wild Thingz ROTORUA Skingraft, Wild Thingz GISBORNE Cultural Experience NAPIER Earthsong HASTINGS Switched On Gardener TAUPO Switched On Gardener TE AWAMUTU Groovee Thingz NEW PLYMOUTH Guru Gardener, Mindfuel, Net, Stardust Creations, Trick or Treat WANGANUI Discount Te Kakariki 4-time Auckland Smoke Shop, Drugs & Health Development Cannabis Cup winner Project, Stardust Creations PALMERSTON NORTH IV Union, Lotz of Pots WELLINGTON PHOTO BY CHRIS Comrades, Cosmic Corner, Real Groovy, San Jewellery, Switched On Gardener LOWER HUTT Devine, House of Hydro, Lo Cost Records, Stardust Creations PORIRUA Stardust Creations NELSON Gizmo’s, Switched On Gardener MOTUEKA Kowhai, Flurmo TAKAKA Invisible BLENHEIM Boots ‘n’ All RANGIORA Rock Shop CHRISTCHURCH Alice in Videoland, Avon Backpackers, Central Surf, Cosmic Corner, Embassy, Globe Cafe, Java Coffee House, Radar Records GREYMOUTH Planet Funk QUEENSTOWN Play It Again WANAKA Play It Again TIMARU Dizzy Spell DUNEDIN Community Law Centre, Cosmic Corner, DIVO, Funk That!, Hemphatic, Modaks, Tangente, Radio One, Switched On Gardener INVERCARGILL Large As Life, Play It Again.

on the cover:

Legal Disclaimer: The views expressed in NORML News may or may not be the opinion of Norml News, NORML New Zealand Inc, our advertisers or printers. NORML News is provided with no warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The publisher assumes no responsibility for and disclaims all liability for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions. Content within NORML NEWS is distributed for “fair use” research, review, education and information purposes. NORML News and the publisher are not responsible for the content of advertising contained within. Publication of an advertisement does not imply our endorsement of any particular product or claims made by any advertiser.

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Contents NEWS Editorial: which party has the best drug policy? Why vote ‘legalise’ by Julian Crawford Dunsterdam fights back! by Abe Gray Drug laws beyond 2008 by Brandon Hutchison J Day nationwide protests. By Jonathan Rennie World News with Harry Cording

4 5 6 8 10 18

FEATURES NORML’s CannaBus National Tour by Harry Cording Nandor Tanczos talks to Chris Fowlie Amsterdam Chronic-cles Pt.3 by Pauly Paul Cannabis Canada by Dana Larsen Auckland Cannabis Cup by Chris Fowlie

22 26 32 36 40

Medicinal NORML goes to parliament by Chris Fowlie Medicinal Cannabis research by Chris Fowlie

14 15

REGULARS Bush Doc new product reviews Safer cannabis use - NORML’s harm reduction advice Know your rights and lawyers list How you can help change the law NORML membership form Join our campaign! Show your grow pics from this year’s bumper crop

44 46 47 48 49 50

IT’S NORML TO SMOKE POT!

The National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML NZ Inc) is a non-profit organisation that campaigns to end marijuana prohibition. We support the right of all adults to possess, use and grow their own marijuana. We recognise that a market for marijuana will always exist, and we promote ways to best regulate and control that market. Our aims are to: reform New Zealand’s marijuana laws; provide information about cannabis; engage in political action appropriate to our aims; inform people of their rights; and give advice and support to victims of prohibition. You can join on page 45.

thanks to:

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

MOUNTAIN RHINO

editorial

hen more than 80 per cent of 21-year-olds will admit to breaking the law (and grow shops advertise on tv), it truly has become “Norml” to smoke pot. Cannabis

A FRESH START

Welcome

to the new and improved NORML News. After more than ten years of giving it away for free, we’ve finally put a price on the cover. I hope you agree it is worth it. If you got your copy from a shop that is part of the culture, it will still be free - or, if they collected any payment, half the proceeds will go to NORML. We’re also getting the magazine out in book shops and stationery stores. This much-needed revenue will let us add more pages, use better paper, and one day we may even get to pay our team of volunteers who make it all happen! Many readers will be aware the Dread has left the House - you can read my interview with former Green MP and NORML News editor Nandor Tanczos on page 26. You may not be aware that at this year’s conference, NORML members will elect a president - and it won’t be me. It’s time for a new person at the helm. But like Nandor, I’m not going away completely. I’ll remain editor and will be able to concentrate on making this magazine even better, as well as pursue some other projects. Plus The Hempstore will still take care of the admin and membership side of things. So who should be president? I think Will de Cleene has the skills for the job. He is based in Wellington and knows the political system. There may be others who are keen and able. But whoever steps up, they can’t do it alone. Now more than ever, NORML needs your support. We especially need active members and better funding. So if, like me, you think cannabis should be legal, you’ll find plenty of ideas and inspiration in this new and improved version of NORML News. And I hope you’ll get involved, because remember, when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty!

Chris Fowlie Editor

Toke the Vote!

N O R M L N e W S Winter/Spring Spring 2008 2008

prohibition remains because we stay silent. This table shows the cannabis policies of the main political parties. We wouldn’t dare say how you should vote, just make sure you vote on election day!

Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party legalise cannabis, with regulations similar to alcohol.

The Green Party decriminalise cannabis, allowing adults to grow and possess their own without penalty.

Libertarianz would legalise all drugs.

Act The Liberal Party has no drugs policy.

The Maori Party does not have a cannabis policy.

Labour initiated cannabis inquiry - then buried it. Allowed hemp production. Is talking about Sativex.

NZ First says it is “tough on drugs”.

National opposes law reform, but may let its MPs exercise a free vote.

United Future opposes law reform, despite Peter Dunne admitting having used cannabis.

Voting for ALCP sends a clear message to other parties and MPs that there is public support for cannabis law reform. See page 7 for latest news from the ALCP

The Greens are the only party in parliament to consistently advocate law reform. They are our strongest allies but they need more MPs to change the law. See page 24 for Nandor’s interview

Great policy that sends a message to other parties, but unlikely to make 5% threshold. Leader Rodney Hide supports legalisation; unfortunately others are “tough on crime” types. Maori candidates and MPs need to be challenged as to whether they support the current racist and unjust law. Helen Clark and a lot of other Labour MPs are sympathetic to law reform, but it seems unlikely they will do anything unless they are forced to (eg by the Greens). On the other hand, Winston has promised to hold a referendum on the issue, and uphold the result. Most National MPs oppose law reform so they can be seen to be tough on crime. National have not made any promising noises so far. They’ll try to take credit for “stopping cannabis liberalisation” but the reality is their policies have failed and ideas are stale.

ENROL TO VOTE www.elections.org.nz 0800 36 76 56 free text 3676 www.NORML.org.nz

ELECTIONS

ALCP: treat election as a referendum on cannabis laws

he Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party says it exists to emancipate cannabis users from the tyranny of criminal prohibition. This year, in the words of one candidate, you can make a world of difference: “simply vote for the cannabis party on election day.” “Never has the New Zealand cannabis community faced a greater threat to its liberty than now,” said Dunedin North candidate Julian Crawford in an interview with Norml News. “Our opponents have voiced support for compulsory ‘treatment’, separate drug courts and DNA sampling of all people arrested. The election of the ALCP is vital to preventing these tyrants access to power. Despite the challenges ahead, victory has never been more achievable. Consider this years election as a referendum on the cannabis laws. We need 5% of the party vote for victory whilst our opponents need 95% of the vote to prevent us. 5% may seem like a lot of votes but when broken down it equates to about 2000 votes per electorate a fraction of total pot users.” How can people get involved? “ALCP is awakening sleeper cells in all 70 electorates nation-wide. We need you to contribute to the cause in your area. There are many levels of involvement to choose from, ranging from texting all your mates on election day, to standing as an electorate candidate. If you are reading this and believe in you heart of hearts that cannabis should be legal, then you are qualified to stand for parliament for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party. Don’t be shy contact the party today.” So who is running in the election? “The ALCP have many high achieving candidates, already on the campaign trail, including Michael Appleby in Wellington Central, Steven Wilkinson in West-Coast/ Tasman, Vincent McLeod in Te Tai Tonga, myself in Dunedin North and Michael Britnell in Christchurch Central. The ALCP team is growing all the time.” What would the ALCP do if elected? “If elected to parliament the ALCP could hold the balance of power and find itself in the ‘King-Maker’ position. In this case we would ensure that our minimum policy www.NORML.org.nz

program is implemented, but we would not hold the government to ransom on other issues. Cannabis Law Reform is our highest priority. Our minimum policy program is as follows: • immediate tolerance of adults’ personal possession and cultivation; • expungement of all convictions for cannabis; • establishment of a regulated R18 trade in cannabis (like Alcohol and Tobacco but without advertising); • establishment of a large scale Industrial Hemp industry, with particular focus on Biofuel production (Cannabis is by far the world’s greatest biofuel producing crop); • comprehensive integration of cannabis medicines into the health system, ensuring that cannabis medicine is available at a subsidised rate to those who need it.” Anything else? “While the personal right to grow and use cannabis is paramount, the ALCP also favours the introduction of a business model, known as the ‘Cottage Industry’, to replace the criminal black-market. The Cottage Industry will include cafe-style outlets like those operating in the Netherlands. Cannabis Cafe operators will require a licence like a bar licence and will pay tax to the government on all marijuana sales. This will provide funding for real, non-abstinance based drug education. Growers can also apply for a licence to supply retail outlets.” What can people do about it? “Don’t let this ‘Pipe-Dream’ languish. Make it a reality in your town this very year. All that is required for ignorance and bigotry to prevail is for good people to do nothing. You can do something, Vote for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and make sure all your mates follow suit.” Sign up to the ALCP’s new web site: www.alcp. org.nz or contact: secretary@alcp.org.nz

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

Local activism

Dunsterdam fights back! Otago NORML came under fire from undercover cops and the university administration. Rather than backing down, activists fought back. By ABE GRAY

tago University students - at the cutting edge of cannabis law reform in New Zealand - are putting themselves on the line to catapult cannabis law reform back into the national spotlight. The vibe for immediate cannabis law reform around the city is buzzing, following a highly successful Cannabis Awareness Week, the highlights of which were a mind-blowing Cannabis Cup and seeing Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton embarrassed by Criminal Law Professor Kevin Dawkins in front of a crowd of more than 300 (check out the footage on youtube). Since then however, Otago University administrators and Dunedin Police have begun a campaign of harassment and intimidation in an attempt to silence our group. It seems the powers that be are extremely rattled by how effective a small, “unorganised” group of University students has been at getting our message across. It started with the Otago University security force, Campus Watch, referring students to the University’s Proctor for suspicion of smoking cannabis. They were fined with no right of reply or evidence presented. This resulted in stern words for the Proctor from the Otago University Student’s Association President

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

and more publicity for the issue, prompting a flood of complaints against Campus Watch from other students who had been too afraid to speak out. But Campus Watch decided to take it a step further and asked the campus cop to detain, illegally search and arrest another student who they alleged to be smoking cannabis. Otago is one of only two NZ Universities to invite Police to have a permanent presence on campus. Police had said the Campus Cop was there to help students (i.e. to prevent theft and assaults), not to police them, and had also explicitly stated that the Campus Cop ‘would not be going after pot smoking students’, when they were lobbying for the position to be established. OUSA organised a massive protest, which saw more than 400 students march from the Union Lawn to the offices of the Proctor, the Campus Cop and Campus Watch, demanding an end to the Police presence on campus. A particularly staunch group of Otago NORML activists hot-boxed the lobby of the Security Complex. This show of force by the wider Dunedin community on behalf of the

civil rights of cannabis users was highly embarrassing for the University administrators, so they ran crying to the Police demanding that taxpayer resources be used to clean up the mess that they themselves had made. To p l a c a t e t h e i n c e s s a n t whining of University administrators, the Police seemed at first to follow the path of least resistance, remaining limited to false accusations and idle threats communicated through the local media. It was apparent that this had absolutely no effect on the resolve of the 4:20 protesters, and so after 4 years and over 250 smoke-ups, the Police made their first ever appearance at a 4:20 protest. Acting on authority vested in them by the University to trespass any non-student that t h e y d i d n ’t l i k e the appearance of, uniformed police arrived at exactly 4:20 and began issuing trespass notices to the first people they could find without a student ID. When one of the men who was trespassed came back to join the group, three plainclothes officers who had dressed as University students emerged from the group and began to interrogate the man. The plainclothes officers were quickly surrounded by the protesters, who demanded to see their identification and recorded

their names and badge numbers. After verbally abusing the group - and some of the officers refusing to identify themselves - the plainclothes ‘Narks’ threatened to return to every 4:20 protest, then ran away to avoid further inquiry into their identities. So we went to considerable effort to protect ourselves, initiating “know your rights” workshops, and negotiating with a videographer to record each 4:20 and upload the footage to YouTube. We even bought some fake weed to throw the cops off but they never came back. After several weeks without a Police presence, we held a very popular stall during ReOrientation week, reassuring students the 4:20’s would continue. At the Radio One Market day, plainclothes officers were sent to spy on our stall. More officers swooped in to arrest me, under what appeared to be false pretenses. As the Police manhandled me away from the Market Day stall, my screams of pain prompted a large crowd to gather. Julian Crawford - the Dunedin North candidate for the ALCP - heroically tried to intervene, resulting in his arrest as well. More people tried to sit down in front of the police car to prevent us from being taken away. Otago NORML Vice-President David Carey was also arrested. The University then attempted to prevent us - all fee-paying

www.NORML.org.nz

ganja culture students - from communicating with our supporters by getting the police to issue us with trespass notices, barring us from parts of the University grounds. Posters appeared around the campus, warning students about the ‘Narks’ in their classes. Under immense pressure from staff and students, the University was forced to back down and later asked the Police to rescind the trespass notices. This saga is still ongoing. It only serves to prove what a waste of time and resources cannabis prohibition is. The Police tell people they are too busy to investigate assaults and burglaries - yet they have spent countless hours and obscene amounts of money to try to shut down the 4:20 protests. We continue unabated... and still to this day not a single person has actually been arrested at a 4:20 protest! For more info or to read the news articles and watch the video clips, visit www.otagonorml.com or www. youtube.com/otagonorml

www.NORML.org.nz

The Southern Cup

A select group of judges gathered at a secret location (that really wasn’t very secret) to sniff, prod, mull, roll, spark and inhale some potent pot from the deep south. Congrats to the winner, Shiva Shanti. And good to see Paul’s backyard homegrown (below) had survived the snow!

CUP WINNER Shiva Shanti (indoor organic) also shown closeup. PHOTOS BY CHRIS

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

law reform

International drug treaties beyond 2008 A historic meeting in Vienna calls for significant changes to drug policies. By Brandon Hutchison

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

photo by Chris

uly this year saw the Beyond 2008 one-size-fits-all and the American conference, held at the UN centre in Vienna, driven anti-drug campaign took the attended by 300 diverse non-government form of the global moral crusade that organisations from around the world. The aim continues unabated to this day. was to agree on a statement on the future of A UN special assembly on drugs international drug policies to be presented to in 1998 set the aim of a “drug free” the UN General Assembly on drugs in 2009. world within 10 years and, although After going through the declaration clause by that aim has now been considerably clause over an intense 3-day period, the final modified to match reality, the UN wording was accepted by all present. Although is to hold another special assembly couched in terms of the “world drug problem” in 2009 to review process. It is for and accepting of prohibition, the statement was this reason that some far-sighted innovative in that it acknowledged: human people on the Vienna-based NGO rights abuses against people who used drugs; committee on drugs developed the the right of people affected by drug use and by Beyond 2008 project, a year long drug policies to be involved in formulation of consultation of NGOs from around policies; the principles of harm reduction; that the world, culminating in the recent there were unintended negative consequences summit. of the drug control system, and that the results The process of that system had been “limited”. It called For those used to discussion and vigorous for more resources for demand reduction debate, the Beyond 2008 conference was a compared with supply reduction, for policies tedious and at times painful process and it is to be evidence and science based, and for the due to the drive and character of the chairman efficacy of policies to be reviewed. and to the compromises made by None of this would be “The statement some factions, that it achieved remarkable to those familiar what it did. For diplomatic called for more with the issue of drug reasons, it was intended that resources for prohibition, but considering the everything should happen place and people involved, the demand reduction by consensus rather than by declaration is truly historic. A compared with voting, as this would show casual conversation with some greater solidarity and thus supply reduction, delegates revealed that some have more credibility with the for policies to were unaware of controversy UN. The protocols, procedures in this area. Perhaps their be evidence and and etiquette of the UN were attendance was for some social science based, and followed. This involved repeated reason. Delegates did get to for the efficacy polite statements of positions have drinks with the Mayor of and much circumlocution. of policies to be Vienna after all. For others, for When a delegate said that reviewed.” example a small tight-knit group something was “ridiculous”, from the USA, the inclusion of he was reprimanded by the chairman for using the liberal statements was barely tolerable inappropriate language. When statements and accepted only after being watered down became similar, or noise from the floor considerably. quietened, the chairman declared that the The context clause in question was accepted. The UN is important in driving drug The protagonists prohibition through three international treaties, Approximately two thirds of the delegates the first being the 1961 Single Convention those from the developing world - were funded on Narcotic Drugs. This American driven by some EU governments and the UN. Those initiative resulted in most countries in the from Europe, North America and Australasia world agreeing to enact prohibitionist laws had to fund themselves. Generally, it was this modelled on that Convention. Although second group that provided most of the debate, many countries had had some kind of antibut from two diametrically opposed camps. drug law for decades, (New Zealand had the In one camp, the liberal and anti-prohibition Dangerous Drugs Act, inherited from the UK), side: human rights groups, civil liberties, this convention ensured that laws became HIV support, drug user unions, Students for

TE KAKARIKI INDOOR & Outdoor.

Sensible Drug Policy, Soros, LEAP, Transform, etc and in the prohibitionists camp, a much smaller group from the Drug Free America Foundation, SUNDIAL, Drug Free schools, the US Narcotics officers association and one man from Drug Free Australia (a former New Zealand window cleaner). This latter faction, with barely 10 regular speakers, fought tooth and nail to keep expressions such as “harm reduction” or acknowledgement of drug user involvement in policy making, out of the declaration. They repeatedly threatened the consensus by promising to attach dissenting statements unless the wording was diluted significantly. Two young delegates from Students for Sensible Drug Policy saved the consensus at the last minute of the conference by proposing wording regarding the inclusion of young people in policy making, that was accepted long enough by the Drug Free faction for the chairman to accept it and close the conference. Even as he did so, US Narcotics officers delegates were rushing to microphones to speak, desperate to have the last word. It was observed by some present that a woman from the US state department - not a delegate - was moving about coordinating and advising the Drug Free delegates on tactics and positions. It seems that the US government couldn’t even keep away from a non-government event. That Beyond 2008 occurred at all and produced its historic declaration is due to the energy and character of the chairman Michel Perron. Thanks also go to Ross Bell of the Drug Foundation for ensuring New Zealand’s involvement. more: www.vngoc.org www.drugfoundation.org.nz/ UNGASS-beyond-2008 www.NORML.org.nz

Canadian Judge here to raise awareness of ‘failures of prohibition’

member of a US group of current, former and retired law enforcement officials is touring New Zealand to raise awareness of the failures of prohibition, as well as offer solutions that have proven to be successful. Jerry Paradis, retired Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia, Canada, and now board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) recently stated that “from a court perspective, prohibition diminishes all the participants: the judges, by requiring them to park their common sense at home; the prosecutors, who know full well that what they’re doing is futile and damaging; and the police who, because these are victimless crimes, have to resort to two very problematic investigative approaches: the search and the snitch”. The War on Drugs has cost US taxpayers over a trillion dollars

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and arrested nearly 40 million nonviolent drug offenders; the United States boasts the highest prison population in the world. Where has this gotten the United States? The War on Drugs is a manifest failure, and has only compounded the societal problems associated with drugs. Is this, says Jerry, a policy that New Zealanders want to emulate? Jerry’s speaking tour will include stops in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Timaru, Christchurch, and others spots across the country, from August 2 to September 10. For tour dates and places, see www.leap.cc or email mildgreens@ gmail.com

law reform

NORML’s priorities for Pot law reform Stop arresting cannabis users: the Government should immediately declare a moratorium on arresting those who choose to use cannabis. Allow medicinal use - let doctors decide, not police and politicians. Decriminalisation: remove all penalties for the use, possession and growing of cannabis by adults and the non-profit transfer of small amounts. The draconian search provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act should be removed and criminal records for cannabis offences wiped. Regulation: a commercial market for marijuana will always exist. It is better to regulate that market than leave it to

organised crime. We support the introduction of Dutch-style cannabis cafes. Overseas experience shows cannabis law changes have not been associated with increased use. Reasonable restrictions: as with alcohol consumption, cannabis use should be limited to adults. Driving or operating heavy machinery while impaired should remain prohibited. Harm minimisation: Cannabis policies should discourage irresponsible use, including use by adolescents. Prevention efforts can only be effective where cannabis is viewed from a public health perspective, instead of a criminal justice perspective.

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

Local activism

Kiwi cannabis lovers came out in force across the country on J-Day, Saturday May 3rd, to celebrate their favourite plant and protest its prohibition. Nationwide, not a single arrest was made, reports JONATHAN RENNIE.

unsterdam - the stamping grounds of roaring activists Abe Gray of 4.20 fame and ALCP candidate Julian Crawford - went off, as expected. The town boasted a trailblazing Cannabis Awareness Week leading up to the day, which attracted scholars and activists from all over the country. Among the many NZ law reform heavyweights who rolled up were Chris Fowlie, Nandor, Blair Anderson, Warren Bryson, Metiria Turei and Ken “Dakta Green” Morgan with Maryjane the Cannabus. Highjinks naturally ensued, including a world hotbox record, as 78 tokers packed the bus. The police

Dunsterdam

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

mostly stood by helplessly their master strategy appears to Auckland have pivoted around getting Mr Fowlie to admit responsibility for a marijuana plant they arrived to confiscate. (Mission: unsuccessful.) Auckland organisers arose to pissing rain. A change of venue had already been forced and now the nightmare of postponement seemed inevitable. But from the heights of Grey Lynn, members spied patches of blue sky edging in from the West: Jah had smiled and the show would go on! The weather cleared up and the more centrally located Myers Park turned out to be a fresh change from Albert Park, where Auckland J-Day is traditionally held. About two thousand people showed up to enjoy fat sounds and partake in the happy herb. The queue for the spotting station snaked far back into the crowd and every time the buds were about to run out some hero would step up, keeping the knives Hamiltron glowing all day! Hamilton J-Day cranked it up this year thanks to Max Coyle and the Tron crew who Meanwhile, Wellingtonian weed-lovers arranged for several top local bands to play celebrated J-Day in geurrilla-style pockets of at the Lake Domain Stage, attracting around resistance throughout the capital. This year marks Aotearoa’s 17th J-Day and 500 supporters. Nandor flew home from this modern May Day tradition also continues Dunsterdam to lend a hand and led, with Tim Wikiriwhi, some spirited korero on issues to mushroom on a global scale. Massive thanks goes out to all the performers and crews who facing the Kiwi Cannaculture today. Big ups to Christchurch NORML and gave their time and skills so generously - the ALCP members who made their stand for event would be nothing without you. J-Day will next be on Saturday May 2nd 2009. freedom in this year’s most miserable J-Day Auckland NORML wants your feedback - should weather. They were forced to shelter in a J Day stay in Myers Park or go back to its (conspicuously parked) van for much of traditional home in Albert the time, but herbs were smoked aplenty. Park next year?

www.NORML.org.nz

AUCKLAND J DAY PHOTOS BY STJOHN. DUNEDIN PHOTOS BY CHRIS

J Day: Nationwide Cannabis Protests

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

NZ NEWS

Party safely on Takaka Hill

ired of spending your New Years with drunken idiots? Keen on avoiding the random violence and intensive police attention that comes with Aotearoa’s crowded summer beach towns? Well, this summer you can join like-minded people at the Canaan Downs Festival, located at the old Gathering site on top of Takaka Hill. In 2006, inspired by the Gathering and the potential of Canaan Downs to host spectacular and timeless events, an extended group of people purchased the land and launched a New Years event called Uprising. The alcohol-free and family-friendly event has since matured under the new title Canaan Downs Festival. Coordinator Simon Kong says “the Festival is definitely an evolution of ideas, developed from Aotearoa dance culture. It is about a relationship with the land, a connection to each other, social responsibility and that these ideas are linked to positivity and good vibes.” With tongue firmly in cheek, the organisers are developing this years line up around the

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

theme “Rock to Rave”, bringing contemporary electronic music together with classic kiwi rock and the latest wave of hip indy bands. To further break the mold, legendary poet and old toker Sam Hunt is headlining the Festival, along with pot-friendly bands Little Bushman, the Tiger Tones, and internationally regarded live electronic acts Antix and Tom Cosm. The Festival runs across two nights, 31st December and 1st January. Tickets are on sale at Cosmic Corner stores nationwide. Organisers are offering free entry for kids under 14 and senior citizens aged over 65. Spot you there! For more info see www.canaandowns.com

ADVICE FOR SAFER DANCE PARTIES While the safest option is to not take any drugs at all, many people do choose to take illicit substances. Look after yourself and your mates. * Ecstasy, cannabis and now BZP are illegal, and a conviction can mean prison. * Much of what is sold as “ecstasy” on the black market actually contains other drugs, some of which can be more dangerous than MDMA, like PMA, speed, DXM and PCP. * Frequent or high doses of ecstasy (MDMA) have been linked to neurotoxic damage in laboratory animals. It is still unknown whether such damage occurs in humans or, if it does, whether this has any long-term, negative consequences. * Some people experience depression after taking MDMA. This is caused by MDMA’s action on certain brain chemicals. Try to plan ahead to allow for this, and don’t make any rash decisions. * There have been some deaths associated with MDMA, usually a result of heatstroke from dancing for long periods in hot clubs without replenishing lost body fluids. Some deaths, however, have come from drinking too much water (so-called “dry drowning”). 600ml per hour is a good guide. * Mixing drugs with alcohol increases the risk of adverse reactions. for more info see www.dancesafe.org

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WHITE RHINO by Flying High

Drug Harm Index ‘useless’ By Chris Fowlie & Brandon Hutchison

lthough a new drug index has glaring deficiencies which make it rather useless, it confirms cannabis use causes the least harm of any drug. The so-called Drug Harm Index, developed by private consultancy firm BERL, is intended to help police and customs show off their illicit drug seizures. But most of the Index’s ‘harms’ are caused by prohibition law enforcement - or are little more than figments of the imagination. Of the $431 million in social costs supposedly caused by cannabis, 56% is “costs of production”. BERL based this on the police’s guess of how much of the annual harvest they catch, assumed each plant yields 227 grams of usable buds, assumed a retail price, then assumed the costs of production are 25% of the retail price. That’s a lot of guesswork. The index includes the costs of law enforcement, so it has a positive feedback loop. The more effort the police put in to a specific drug area, the more “harmful” it then becomes and, they will inevitably argue, the more effort should be put into policing it. There is also no inclusion of the harms arising from drug polices themselves. There is a vast literature on this that the report’s authors seem unaware of. For example, much or even most of the crime

costs associated with illicit drugs is due to the buying and selling of the drugs, rather than any inherent pharmacological factor. The authors also show a lack of understanding of illicit drug markets, where an intervention creates other unintended effects, thereby shifting the problem or the perceived problem. For example a shift to another more dangerous drug, or the elimination of a dealing network by law enforcement that generates a new round of violence while a new network forms. Not surprisingly, the report ignores the benefits of drug use to individuals and society and focusing only on perceived harms. There are indeed benefits from drug use - such as relaxation, medicinal or therapeutic use, or just plain old enjoyment - just as there are with alcohol use. Alcohol, of course, was absent from the analysis. The report says the annual total health care cost due to cannabis use was $7.5 million, which works out at $33 per user. Couldn’t we just legalise it, pay this amount in cannabis taxes each - heck, maybe even a bit more - and let the police get on with solving real crime?

WHITE RHINO by Flying High

www.NORML.org.nz

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

MEDiCiNAL CANNABiS Special Section Summary of known medical uses Modern research suggests cannabis or its derivatives are valuable aids in the treatment of a wide range of conditions including: > pain relief -- particularly neuropathic pain and arthritis; > appetite stimulant especially for patients suffering from cancer, HIV, AIDS wasting syndrome, anorexia or dementia; > anti-nausea - helping patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy or other debilitating treatments; > easing muscle spasms in neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis or spinal cord injury; > neuroprotection and protection against some types of malignant tumours; > plus a host of other conditions including Glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Gliomas, Gastro Intestinal Disorders, Hepatitis C, hypertension, Osteoporosis, Pruritis and Tourette’s syndrome.

Support for law reform A poll conducted by TV3 in Nov 2006 found 63% support for “legalising medicinal cannabis”. A similar poll run on the TV3 website in July 2008 found 74% support. This is despite using the dreaded “L” word. If the poll had presented a more conservative approach, such as “allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis-based medicines to seriously-ill patients” there may have been even greater support.

Survey of NZ Doctors A survey of 500 New Zealand doctors by the Green Party in 2003 revealed that the more knowledge a doctor holds, the more likely they are to support the use of medicinal cannabis. > One in five doctors had patients already using cannabis medicinally; > 47 per cent had patients who had discussed the option of using cannabis; > 32 per cent would consider prescribing legal medicinal cannabis products.

N O R M L N e W S Spring Summer2008 2008

NORML petition sparks medical cannabis hearing at Parliament By Chris Fowlie

ORML activists and patients who use cannabis medicinally appeared before parliament’s Health Select Committee in June to testify in support of a petition that would legalise medical use. The petition of more than 6000 signatures requested “parliament give urgent attention to changing the law to allow individuals to obtain, possess and use cannabis for treatment of serious medical conditions when this has been recommended or endorsed in writing by the individual’s registered medical practitioner.” MPs on the committee seemed, on the whole, to be very supportive. The fact that marijuana is an effective medicine was not disputed. The only bones of contention came from the Ministry of Health. While they also agreed cannabis can be a useful medicine, they opposed smoking it and instead pushed for the government to allow the UK cannabis extract Sativex. Sativex is a extract of herbal cannabis, made by UK firm GW Pharmaceuticals, who have a license from the UK Home Office to grow and breed thousands of cannabis plants. It is approved in Canada and Spain. The Ministry’s opposition to herbal cannabis can be summarised as: • smoking anything is bad; • it’s hard to standardise the dosage; • the dangers of the illegal black market mean allowing patients to grow their own could expose them to risk of burglary or assault. NORML vice-president Will de Cleene and Billy McKee from patient advocacy group Green Cross set about demolishing the Ministry’s arguments. The dangers of the black market are, of course, only there because cannabis is illegal. If it were legal, there would be no crime or violence. But besides that, said Billy, patients are already growing their own, so are already exposed to these dangers, but they have no protection from the law and cannot go to the police for help. Legalising medical use would give real protection to patients and make

HAVE YOUR SAY Should

patients suffer, or receive pharmaceutical extracts like Sativex, or be allowed to grow their own? > Get involved in the > Write to the Health debate. Select Committee and tell them you support > Write to or visit NORML’s medical your MP and ask marijuana petition. them to support the > Medical users: Greens’ Medicinal Cannabis Bill. Email contact us for advice your MP at norml.org. or to help with our nz/emailMP campaign. access to their medicine safer. The concerns about smoking and dose control were next. It is inhaling cannabis that allows for instant onset and easy dosage control, compared to swallowing pills, which they noted take several hours to take full effect. The small risks from smoking pot need to be weighed up against the benefit to the patient. Furthermore, patients could avoid smoke altogether by using a vaporiser, or by using alcohol-based tinctures (which would be similar to Sativex but locally-made at a fraction of the cost). Will had come prepared with a Vaporite Hyper vaporiser - a flash looking machine that neatly demonstrated cannabis can be safely inhaled without any smoke. He also pointed out cannabis can be grown to produce consistent amounts of active ingredients. In fact, this is precisely what GWP have done to make Sativex, so there is no reason it couldn’t be done here as well. Given the positive tone of the hearing, we should expect a good report from the committee. That in turn should generate wider parliamentary support for the Green Party’s bill that would legalise medicinal use. A poll run by TV3 after the hearing found 74% support for legalising medical cannabis. www.NORML.org.nz

POT OF GOLD AUCKLAND

NSW to try cannabis extract

he New South Wales state government wants to begin a trial to prescribe the cannabis extract Sativex to help treat serious or terminally ill patients with a range of illnesses.

State Health Minister Reba Meagher said in May she would write to her federal counterpart Nicola Roxon for permission to import Sativex, which delivers cannabis compounds through an oral spray. “We want the trial to start as soon as possible. However the support of the Rudd Government would be needed to get TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approval of the

drug for use in the trial. We’re hopeful the Government will approve.” A cannabis-based drugs trial was first proposed in 2003, but lack of support from the Howard government meant the program failed to get off the ground. The Australian Medical Association and NSW Cancer Council welcomed the proposal. “We believe medicinal cannabis may be of benefit in HIV-related wasting and cancerrelated wasting,” said Dr John Gullotta, chairman of the association’s public health committee. He said it could also relieve nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Sources: AAP 18 May 2008; gw-pharm.com

Austria regulates medical supply

fter recently decriminalising the personal use of cannabis, Austria’s parliament has now passed a law regulating the cultivation of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes.

The law gives the Health Ministry’s health and food safety agency AGES the exclusive right to grow the plant, which will then be distributed to authorised patients. The president of the Austrian pain studies association OeSG, Michael Bach, welcomed the new legislation: “Any initiative that makes it possible to develop

and provide new drugs for pain therapy is welcome.” This follows a law that took effect on the 1st of January 2008 that effectively decriminalised drug possession for personal use. The revised law now no longer considers the quantity but the personal use of a drug. Anyone caught again within a probation period is threatened with prosecution. Many European nations have now stopped arresting people caught in possession of small quantities of drugs, and a handful, including the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Finland, allow for the use of medicinal cannabis by qualified patients. Sources: AFP 10 July 2008; www. norml.org

German Parliament debates medical cannabis

he German lower house of parliament recently debated proposals supporting the medical use of cannabis. Speeches by the Greens, The Left and Free Democrats included demands for improvements to the access to cannabis medicines and an end to criminal prosecution for the severely ill. Although Government representatives showed compassion and understanding for the suffering of the patients, they fell short of offering changes to the law. “None of us doubts that www.NORML.org.nz

for many people cannabis is a helpful medicine” the federal drug commissioner Sabine Baetzing, of the Social Democrats. But she said a change in the law was not an option. The Federal Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products, part of Germany’s Ministry of Health, would continue to evaluate applications for the therapeutic use of cannabis on a case-by-case basis. This

is even though, like New Zealand, the application process for all involved is considerably more demanding than the prescription of a narcotic. So far, the Institute has issued permits to 10 patients and rejected 32 applications. The Bundestag’s Health Committee will hold a public expert hearing on the subject on 15 October 2008.

research news Prescription drug deaths exceed illegal drugs A recent analysis of autopsies in 2007 from Florida found that the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illegal drugs combined. Source: New York Times of 14 June 2008

Medical Students At the American Medical Association’s recent annual conference, the Medical Student section unanimously endorsed a resolution urging the AMA to support the reclassification of cannabis for medical use. The resolution will now go before the AMA House of Delegates for a final vote in November 2008.

Spices have the good oil Swiss researchers have discovered that beta-caryophyllene is a CB2 receptor agonist. This cannabinoid is not only found in cannabis but is also a constituent of the essential oils of numerous spice and food plants. Beta-caryophyllene is found in the essential oils of clove, hemp and rosemary. Activation of the CB2 receptor may result in a reduction of inflammation and a slowing in the development of atherosclerosis. Source: Gertsch J, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jun 23.

Better than aspirin Japanese researchers have found a potent COX2 inhibitor in the cannabis plant, opening the way for the development of drugs better than aspirin. Cannabidiol (CBD) is found in fresh undried cannabis as cannabidiolic acid, which researchers discovered is a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor (COX-2 inhibitor). Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) was much less potent. C OX -2 inhibitors ha ve a n ant i inflammatory effect. Drugs such as aspirin work by suppressing activation of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme. However, as well as COX-2, aspirin also inhibits COX-1 enzymes, which can result in side effects such as stomach bleeding. Source: Takeda S, et al. Drug Metab Dispos, 2008 Jun 12

Source: German Bundestag. Transcript at www.cannabismed.org/german/ for the latest medical marijuana bundestag_2008.pdf research go to

www.cannabis-med.org Spr Spr ing ing 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, asked patients with schizophrenia why they used cannabis despite the drug possibly worsening the course of the disease. Patients responded that they used cannabis for “control of symptoms, to feel normal, perceived improvement in cognitive function, reduced psychological pain and increased energy.” Authors noted that “this research has implications for clinical practice as clinicians may lack insight into the importance of the phenomenological beliefs of a person with schizophrenia.” Source: Costain WF. Int J Ment Health Nurs 2008;17(4):227-35

Pain Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the most commonly used analgesic drug, but new research has found the effect is abolished by blocking the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Acetaminophen does not bind to CB1 receptor, but its metabolite AM404 is an reuptake inhibitor of endocannabinoids, and therefore increases their effects. It is also an agonist at the vanilloid receptor. Source: Mallet C, et al. Pain. 2008 May 14

Anxiety Previous research has shown that activation of the cannabinoid-1 receptor facilitates the extinction of conditioned fear in animals. New research confirms these results and shows that there are longlasting effects. This may be the reason why cannabis products may be beneficial in post-traumatic stress disorder. Source: Pamplona FA, et al. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2008 May 15

Granulomas

TE KAKARIKI

Why Schizophrenics use cannabis

WHO: Cannabis use not related to drug policy

new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found use “is not simply related to drug policy, since countries with stringent user-level illegal drug policies did not have lower levels of use than countries with liberal ones.” Media here claimed New Zealand had the second highest rate of pot and cocaine use in the world, but the survey only covered 17 countries, with a combined sample size of 85,052. Cannabis use in the United States and New Zealand (both 42 per cent) was far higher than in any other country and was more than twice the rate of the Netherlands. The number of teenagers under the age of 15 who had tried cannabis was 7.0 per cent in the Netherlands, and 20.2 per cent in the US. New

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

Source: http://tinyurl.com/6qty6u

Cannabis extract Sativex improves pain threshold

niversity of Rome researchers investigated changes in the pain threshold in a group of 17 patients with multiple sclerosis, who received either the cannabis extract Sativex or a placebo. The so-called flexion reflex or “nociceptive withdrawal reflex” is a reflex intended to protect the body from damaging stimuli. The classic

example is when you touch something hot and withdraw your body part from the hot object. It is a widely used technique to assess the pain threshold and to investigate neurotransmitter systems involved in pain control. After patients used the cannabis extract the reflex threshold increased and reflex area decreased.

Authors concluded that “the cannabinoid-induced changes ... in patients with MS provide objective neurophysiological evidence that cannabinoids modulate the nociceptive system in patients with MS.” Source: Conte A, et al. Cannabinoid-induced effects on the nociceptive system. Eur J Pain, 2008 Jul 4.

Potent pot not cause of mental illness

ustralian researchers have dismissed claims that increased cannabis potency Italian scientists have found that causes mental illness. cannabinoids which activate CB1 or A report released by the White House CB2 receptors also inhibit the production claimed average THC in cannabis seized of blood vessels in granulomas, and in the United States increased from about 4 thus reduce inflammation in associated per cent in 1983 to 9.6 per cent in 2007. But conditions such as Crohn’s disease, the claim that stronger weed is driving the tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. occurrence of mental health problems is not Source: De Filippis D, et al. Br J supported by the evidence, said researchers Pharmacol, 2008 Jun 16 at the Australian National Drug and Alcohol Research Center and the National for the latest www.cannabis-med.org Drug Research Institute, who had medical marijuana research go to investigated the development cannabis potency in several countries.

Zealand adolescents had the highest use rate in the survey - a whopping 26.8 per cent. “The US, which has been driving much of the world’s drug research and drug policy agenda, stands out with higher levels of use of alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis, despite punitive illegal drug policies,” authors concluded. “The Netherlands, with a less criminally punitive approach to cannabis use than the US, has experienced lower levels of use, particularly among younger adults. Clearly, by itself, a punitive policy towards possession and use accounts for limited variation in nationlevel rates of illegal drug use.” So if drug laws have so little effect, why persist with criminal prohibition?

“Increased potency has been observed in some countries, but there is enormous variation between samples, meaning that cannabis users may be exposed to greater variation in a single year than over years or decades. Claims made in the public domain about a 20- or 30-fold increase in cannabis potency and about the adverse mental health effects of cannabis are not supported currently by the evidence.” Sources: Associated Press 12 June 2008, UPI 18 June 2008; McLaren et al.. Cannabis potency and contamination: a review of the literature. Addiction 2008;103(7):1100-9. www.NORML.org.nz

PHOTOS BY CHRIS

Research news

research news

TE KAKARIKI

Lymphomas Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, have found increased CB1 and CB2 receptors levels in most non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It seems it is part of the body’s defence against cancer. Cannabinoids were found to induce cell death in these cancer cells. Researchers concluded “our results suggest that therapies using cannabinoid receptor ligands will have efficiency in reducing tumor burden in malignant lymphoma”. Source: Gustafsson K, et al. Int J Cancer, 2008 Jun 10

Study: marijuana extracts better for pain relief than isolated compounds “Cannabis Sativa Evoked a Total Relief of Neuropathic Pain, Ameliorating the Effect of Single Cannabinoids” - Study.

he administration of whole-plant cannabis extracts provides superior pain relief compared to the administration of the plant’s isolated components, according to preclinical data to be published in the journal Phytotherapy Research. Investigators at the U n i v e r s i t y o f M i l a n ’s Department of Pharmacology assessed the efficacy of natural plant-derived cannabis extracts compared to the administration of a single cannabinoid in an animal model of neuropathic pain. Researchers reported that the administration of single cannabinoids such as THC or CBD produced limited relief compared to the administration of plant extracts containing multiple cannabinoids, terpenes (oils), and flavonoids (pigments). “The use of a standardized extract of Cannabis sativa … evoked a total relief of thermal hyperalgesia, in an experimental model of neuropathic pain, … ameliorating the effect of single cannabinoids,” investigators concluded. They added: “Collectively, these findings strongly support the idea that the combination of cannabinoid and nonwww.NORML.org.nz

Teen use drops in US states that allow medical cannabis

ore than a decade after the passage of America’s first state medical marijuana law, California’s Prop. 215, a considerable body of data shows that no state with a medical marijuana law has experienced an increase in teen marijuana use since its law’s enactment. Researchers of the State University of New York said medical cannabis laws in twelve states have not increased teen cannabis use, despite fears that have been raised when ever such measures are considered. Their report, based entirely on data from federal and state government-funded drug use surveys, found all states have reported overall decreases — exceeding 50% in some age groups — strongly suggesting that enactment of state medical marijuana laws does not increase teen marijuana use. The report is available at http://www.mpp.org/teens/

cannabinoid compounds, as present in [plant-derived] extracts, provide significant advantages in the relief of neuropathic pain compared with pure cannabinoids alone. … Further studies of cannabis-based medicines in neuropathic pain are now required to demonstrate a clinically relevant improvement in the treatment of this condition.” Two separate US clinical trials recently affirmed that inhaled cannabis significantly reduces neuropathy in patients with chronic pain conditions, such as HIV or spinal cord

injury, compared to placebo. Previously published preclinical data on cannabis and analgesia have shown that cannabinoids, when administered in concert with either opiates or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, evoke greater reductions in pain compared to the administration of either drug alone.

Leukemia Researchers of the University of London, UK, discovered a synergistic effect with dronabinol (synthetic THC) and cytotoxic agents used in the treatment of leukemia. Dronabinol sensitized leukemic cells to these cytotoxic drugs. They concluded that “a combination approach with THC and established cytotoxic agents may enhance cell death in vitro.” Source: Liu WM, et al. Leuk Lymphoma. 2008 Jun 30:1-10

Ultraviolet-induced inflammation Ultraviolet radiation directly activates cannabinoid receptors, according to new research from the University of Minnesota. Scientists demonstrated that the absence of cannabinoid receptors in mice resulted in a dramatic resistance to UVB-induced inflammation and in a decrease in UVBinduced skin cancer. Source: Zheng D, et al. Cancer Res 2008;68(10):3992-8

Inflammation of the bowel Animal experiments have shown that cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, reduces inflammation of the bowel. Researchers concluded that “cannabidiol may represent a good candidate to normalize motility in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.”

Source: “Antihyperalgesic effect Source: Capasso R, et al. Br J Pharmacol. of a Cannabis sativa extract in a 2008 May 12 rat model of neuropathic pain,” in Phytotherapy Research. See also www.norml.org/index. for the latest www.cannabis-med.org medical marijuana cfm?Group_ID=3376 research go to Spr Spr ing ing 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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woRLD NEWS

WITH HARRY CORDING

Kiwi soldiers busted in Afghanistan

he Army was in the headlines for the wrong reason when six soldiers were shipped out of Afghanistan to face drug charges at a court martial. The charges were later dropped, but now the Defence Force plans to introduce tougher drug testing rules.

The soldiers, who were serving in the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan province, were accused of sampling the local hashish. NZ Army Brigadier Dave Gawn fumed “There is no tolerance for the use of drugs by service personnel”, but early in July the charges were dismissed with much less fanfare than their arrest. The Defence Force said mistakes were made during the investigation, and offered the soldiers counselling - perhaps to deal with the trauma of getting caught? Now all serving personnel and budding recruits are facing a drugs crack down. Under a new policy to be introduced by the end of the year, half of the Defence Force’s 12,000 personnel will be randomly tested each year – any time, anywhere. Staff would be tested

before being sent overseas, after any incident or accident or if there was “good cause” to suspect drug use. It seems they will use simple onsite screens to test on the spot for traces of cannabis and other drugs. However onsite screens, which resemble home pregnancy kits, do not meet the Australia/New Zealand Standard for drug tests as they are unreliable and can return false positives. The Defence Force said alcohol will not be included in the drug-testing regime, because it is not illegal. Bamiyan Province, where the Kiwi troops

were stationed, lies on a main route for shipping cannabis and opium out of Afghanistan. According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium, and has become the world’s second largest producer of cannabis, after Morocco. They are one of the few things that can be grown in the rugged environment that will earn any money. The cannabis plant is native to Central Asia, and potent Afghan genetics are now distributed all over the world. They have given rise to many high quality varieties of the herb. In June Afghan authorities found and destroyed what is believed to be the world’s largest seizure of hash - around 230 tons. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime and prohibitionist buffoon, called it “a major success for counter-narcotics in Afghanistan. Drugs are financing terrorism and insurgency in Afghanistan.” The truth is that prohibition finances criminals and warlords. The more they try to eradicate drugs, the more they are worth, and the more is produced. Afghanistan has been the doom of empires, from Alexander the Great to the Soviet Union. The Americans may be next. Source: NZPA 28 March & 30 July 2008

UK: Cannabis Class B again

In 2004 cannabis was downgraded to Class C, making possession a non-arrestable offense and placing the herb in the same category as anabolic steroids and Valium. Since then not only have the number of cannabis arrests has fallen, marijuana use by young people age 16 to 24 has dropped by 20%. Since taking office in June 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has consistently pushed for increasing cannabis penalties. Brown, also known as Stalin for his control freakery and Mr Bean for his bumbling tendencies, said “The cannabis on the streets is now of a lethal quality and we really have got to send out a message to young people.” Ah yes, “sending a message” - a favorite piece of prohibition bullshit. But in recommending

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

retention of Class C, the Advisory Panel noted: “The evidence for the existence of an association between frequency of cannabis use and the development of psychosis is weak.” Paul Corry of the Mental health charity Rethink said Brown should heed the committee’s advice. “It does not make sense to reclassify. Use of the drug has gone down since it was downgraded in 2004 and research by Rethink shows that only 3% of users would consider stopping on the grounds of illegality.” Steve Rolles, of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, added “I think if we want to send out messages to young people, rather than mass criminalisation of millions of young people, I think the way to do it would be in effective, targeted public health education.”

A new report from the UK Drug Policy Commission has confirmed illegal drug markets are “extremely resilient” and that increasing seizures of drugs have had only little impact on the availability of illegal drugs. Latest figures estimate the size of the UK illicit drug market to be 5.3 billion British Pounds (about NZ$14 billion). But despite spending hundreds of millions of pounds each year on drug law enforcement, researchers found “there is remarkably little evidence of its effectiveness in disrupting markets and reducing availability.” “The authors were unable to locate any comprehensive published UK evidence of the

HILLBILLY CLOSEUP

gainst the advice of its own drugs Advisory Panel, the British government has moved cannabis back to Class B, increasing the maximum penalty for possession to five years in prison.

relative effectiveness of different enforcement approaches. They were also not able to identify any published comparative cost-benefit or value-formoney analysis for different interventions within the UK,” researchers wrote. “Enforcement can have a significant and unintended negative impact on the nature and extent of harms associated with drugs and this should be recognised and minimised.” Sources: BBC, Reuters. http:// drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk; UK Drug Policy Commission: www. ukdpc.org.uk www.NORML.org.nz

olland has joined the growing number of countries to ban tobacco smoking in public buildings - including coffeeshops. The ban, which took effect on July 1, does not apply to cannabis, which can still be smoked in coffeeshops, but new regulations are in place for spliffs (cannabis-tobacco mixes) which are popular in Europe. Customers will still be able to smoke cannabis-tobacco mixes if the coffeeshop provides a special smoking room or partitioned area. But staff will not serve customers in these areas. Violating the new regulations could see coffeeshop owners fined up to 2400 euros. The Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has a squad of inspectors ready to enforce the ban. Dutch authorities said the inspectors will be able to tell the difference between a pure joint and a spliff from their smell and appearance. Michael Veling, spokesman for the Cannabis Retail Association which represents some

110 coffeeshops, did not think the ban would greatly affect his business as most of his customers bought cannabis to take home. He said only about two dozen of the group’s members had created separate spaces for tobacco smokers, adding that he would not. “I don’t see the benefits of it.” Arjam Roskam, who owns the Green House coffee shop in Amsterdam, is not worried. His marijuana strains have won 31 Cannabis Cup prizes over the years and he counts Hollywood celebrities, members of Europe’s royal families, lawyers, judges and police officers among his clients. “The English, Americans and Japanese are our biggest customers. Already they don’t smoke tobacco,” he said. “We don’t mind the smoking ban.” Coffeeshops are big business in Holland.

New Mexico to regulate medical cannabis The US state of New Mexico is setting up a regulated system for licensing, distributing and manufacturing medical cannabis. State law allows the medical use of cannabis for serious illnesses. The state proposes two types of licensed producers: a qualified patient who can produce up to four mature plants for personal use only and a non-profit private entity operating a facility limited to 95 mature plants and seedlings at any time. So far, the department of health has approved 169 people for medical cannabis. Source: AP 24 July 2008

Holy Coke, Vatican! The Catholic church is slowly catching up to the 20th century - in more ways than one. Recently a man was convicted for possession of cocaine in the first drugs trial ever held in the Vatican. A man working at the Gubernatorial Palace received a suspended four-month jail sentence after 87 grams of cocaine were found in his office. The case highlighted the fact that there are no laws in the Vatican that specifically cover possession of drugs.

Swiss Hemp Initiative

Source: Reuters 8 May 2008

On 30 November Swiss citizens will vote on “a rational hemp policy providing effective youth protection”. The referendum will decriminalise the purchase, possession and consumption of the psychoactive constituents of the cannabis plant. The Christian Democratic Peoples Party (CVP) has recommended voting against it, while the Social Democrats (SP) and Liberal Democrats are in favour. Source: 20min.ch 28 June 2008 www.NORML.org.nz

HILLBILLY

Dutch ban tobacco smoking - but pure joints still OK. H

Adults are allowed to purchase up to 5 grams at a time. With more than 700 coffeeshops selling around 265,000 kilos of cannabis annually, most of it grown in Holland, sales total around 2 billion euros. The Dutch government earns 400 million euros annually in tax revenues from cannabis sales. Sources: NIS News Bulletin & Reuters

Illegal German weed laced with lead

he German city of Leipzig recently had an outbreak of lead poisoning, after dodgy dealers laced their stashes with the toxic heavy metal. Dozens of people were admitted to local hospitals with symptoms including abdominal cramps, nausea, anemia, fatigue, uncontrollable shaking, and hallucinations. All were regular pot smokers. After three patients brought their stashes to a laboratory for testing, lead flakes were spotted through a microscope. It turns out dealers had mixed the tiny flakes into their stock, adding to the weight, and boosting their profits. The flakes were too small to be seen without magnification. When the herb was smoked, the flakes vaporised and the lead was absorbed into the bloodstream. Lead is toxic, accumulates in the body, and can cause permanent damage to the brain and other

vital organs. It appears the dealers have stopped adding lead - now that their customers are wise to the dirty trick. Last year Europeans had another hazard to contend with - tiny glass beads were added to UK buds, also to gain weight. The beads were only discovered after stoners sought medical attention for mouth ulcers, sore throats and severe coughs. During both of these episodes, governments made little or no effort to warn consumers of the dangers. That would draw attention to the harms that prohibition causes, and politicians place sounding tough on drugs above the health of their citizens. Once again their fellow Europeans have reason to envy the Dutch - you wouldn’t get contaminated weed in a Dutch coffeeshop! Source: Reuters

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

www.NORML.org.nz

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

: r u o T s u B a n n a C The o t d a o r e h t n 'O ' m o d e e fr

By Harry Cording

towns in 42 days - Maryjane the NORML Cannabus has travelled throughout New Zealand, spreading the message of freedom along the way and putting the case for cannabis law reform to the public.

he Cannabus crew - Ken Morgan, Brian and Fawuz, otherwise known as Dakta Green, Dakta Grower and Dakta Fooz - received a hero’s welcome everywhere they went. People of all ages and all walks of life visited the Cannabis to express their support and share their stories and buds. The crew faithfully observed 4:20 in every town they stopped in, with the bus parked in the most prominent location they could find. Ken told the locals to “bring your buds”. Some generous contributions were received, and many new NORML members signed up. All went well until Palmerston North, where the police decided to make trouble. The bus arrived on Good Friday and drove through the town announcing a public protest and session. They parked in the central city square and between 150 and 200 people gathered for 4:20. About 15 minutes into the protest a police

car arrived. Two officers came over and seemed interested in details of the tour. They went away to talk to their sergeant and as Ken noted, “It appeared things were not right.” A few moments later he heard the sergeant say “There’s two over there. Just walk over slowly.” With that they arrested two guys who were smoking near Maryjane. As the handcuffs went on, Brian sparked up a joint, leaped from the bus and stood in front of the sergeant, saying “If you take them, you’ll have to take me too.” He took a large toke, blew smoke in the sergeant’s face, and was then arrested. As the three were taken away, the crowd booed and jeered the police. One guy was arrested for disorderly behavior. The protest immediately moved to the police station. Ken and Fooz went in to discuss the events that had transpired. More than 60 locals joined them, packing the entire foyer. The sergeant asked to

CANNA CREW: Brian, Fooz and Ken

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11 April at the Beehive talk to Ken in private. “The sergeant demanded that I remove our people from the foyer to the other side of the street. If we did not comply, every off duty officer he had would be called in, issued a baton, helmet and shield, and the foyer would be emptied. I could not believe what I had heard. A police sergeant was threatening more than 60 people in his station foyer with physical violence when all the people wanted was to find out what had happened to their family and friends who had been arrested. For smoking cannabis,” said Ken. “In keeping with our passive resistance stance we left. We decamped to the other side of the street and fired up the barbecue. “Police cannot be used to arrest citizens while they are engaged in a political protest. If we allow this to continue nobody will be safe when expressing their opposition

to Government policy.” The three Palmerston North residents pleaded not guilty and their case was yet to be resolved at the time of writing. The high cost of traveling to Palmerston North meant that Brian could not afford to defend his possession of cannabis charge. To have the case transferred required a guilty plea. He received 40 hours community service for possession - the minimum the judge said he could impose. The judge noted that Brian had been a long time advocate of law change - and remained unaware of the joint he had sparked up before going in for sentencing. The tour met with a very different police response in Gisborne. At the end of the protest an officer came up and introduced himself as the District Commander for Gisborne Police. As Ken relates, “We had a wonderful chat. His www.NORML.org.nz

PHOTOS BY KEN & FOOZ. CANNABIS IMAGE BY Mamio Marais; MAP BY JAMES D.

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5 April: Invercargill patrols had been asking about us so he came to see what we were about. I explained in some detail. He seemed pleased with what he heard and wished us luck as we continued with our tour.” Pot comes to Parliament On April 11 - Dakta Green’s birthday - the Cannabus went to Parliament. He describes it as “a surreal experience.” “We arrived with “Conan”, our donated plant from Paeroa, proudly displayed in our windscreen. A police officer came over and only asked, ‘Would you please remove the plant from view?’ “50 or 60 people gathered on Parliament lawns and at 4:20 everybody sparked up. Police and security stood off to one side and it was clear there would be no incident. Television crews were all over us but as there was no news coverage that night it is clear they were waiting for some ‘action/arrests’. They were disappointed. So now we know. Smoking cannabis on Parliament grounds will not lead to mass arrests.” Conan was seized in Picton by police the following day. No one was charged. The police were going to conduct a warrantless search of Maryjane until they accepted the crew’s suggestion they should check with head office first. The following day was spent in Motueka, where a good crowd turned out including local ALCP candidate Steve Wilkinson and Duncan Eddy, who 30 interviewed the bus crew www.NORML.org.nz

for the local community radio station. In Westport, the 4:20 session took place outside the Clocktower. According to a local media report, constable Paul Sampson drove past the clocktower and saw the bus, which was surrounded by road cones. “When I saw the cones out, I made the assumption that the council had given them permission to be there. It crossed my mind that they might have been smoking cannabis but then I thought, surely not on the main street.” Calling police bluff The Cannabus arrived in Invercargill on April 29. The crew were looking forward to a smoke with mayor Tim Shadbolt, but he was out of town. Dakta Green takes up the story: “At 4.20 I addressed the crowd. I talked about the reasons for being in their city. I then invited the locals to join us in our form of civil disobedience and smoke a joint with us. People sparked up. Toking was happening everywhere. About 50 people were gathered around Maryjane when the police arrived.

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www.CANNABUS.org.nz “The officers in my face were then called away for a conference with other officers and we continued with our protest. Then they left. They saw the plant 2 MAY: Hotbox in Dunedin on prominent display in “We were informed that our M a r y j a n e ’s protest was OK but anybody windscreen. That was after all smoking cannabis would be their justification for invoking a arrested. We were then informed warrantless search. But having that as we had a plant on board invoked the search, they backed the bus, I as driver would be off. Nobody was arrested. searched and the bus would be Nobody was searched. Nobody searched under the warrantless had their smoke taken. Our plant search provisions of the misuse remained on board. So we planted of drugs act. it right there in the garden, at “By this time more police were the Cenotaph. And the locals arriving. This was starting to shape cheered. up as the most serious incident “The people told the police in yet on tour. Invercargill police words and deeds to back off. They were not going to be trifled with. came. We stood up to them. Then Cannabis smoking was not going they left. It was a good day in to be part of this protest. Searches Invercargill.” and arrests were imminent. “So we took the initiative. We On to Dunsterdam suggested the police had better On April 25 the tour rolled into things to do than hassle us. After Dunsterdam (formerly knows as we have travelled so far and had Dunedin) to kick off Cannabis such a positive response from Awareness Week. The Cannabus many police, we suggested that arrived amid much fanfare perhaps they should check with and drove around the suburbs head office before continuing with Ken on the loudspeaker down this path. encouraging people to join the 4:20 on 22 April: Cathedral Square the Union Lawn. Because the University withdrew permission at the last minute to have the bus enter campus, they parked on Cumberland Street outside the Students Association office. This made the protest visible to every car driving by on State Highway 1, and probably did more to associate the University with daktivism than if they had just let the bus park on the Union Lawn. About

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85 people attended the welcome ceremony. Organised by Otago NORM L , C a n n a b i s Awareness Week week was a lively program of protest events, gigs, lectures and information days climaxing on May 3 with J Day. The major event of the week was a lecture and debate on the topic “Cannabis and Alcohol: Is Prohibition Rational?” The rest of the week was spent taking part in Dunsterdam celebrations including hotboxing Maryjane with a worldrecord 78 people packed inside. J-Day in Dunedin

30 APRIL: Invercargill heckling from the crowd. As no one claimed ownership of the plants, no one was arrested [actually, they tried to pin it on me - Ed]. The cops said if people had a problem with this, they were welcome to come down to the station and discuss it with them. Then they left (after sneakily inhaling the marijuana smoke that surrounded them). Dakta Green suggested that everyone march down there and demand the plants back. To his disappointment, this didn’t happen - he was hoping to hotbox the police station foyer. Some good bands played and people continued to smoke a lot of pot. One cop sat in an unmarked car overlooking the event for a couple of hours. Chris Fowlie and a few other people talked to him now and then, making sure he wasn’t too lonely.

Around 150 people gathered in the Octagon on a very chilly, blustery day. But the weather perked up, and a good time was had by all. The Cannabus was parked in a prominent position, putting out irie beats and plumes of marijuana smoke. One healthy marijuana plant sat on the dashboard of the bus as usual, while another little gem of a plant sat on a table outside, as first prize in a raffle to be drawn later in the day. A cop came by, walked around, then left. People smoked a lot of pot. Then a couple more cops came and parked by the bus. They walked over and one of them grabbed a leaf of the plant outside the bus and had a sniff (clearly the correct way to identify a marijuana plant). The two cops then politely told the crowd that they had a right to be there, and they understood that they were making a point. But they confiscated the plants because they believed they were cannabis. This provoked a lot 19 April: Arthur’s Pass of booing and

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www.CANNABUS.org.nz Ken had formally invited a spokesperson from every party ay 15 was a calm sunny day in Parliament to speak on their in Wellington as daktivists cannabis policy for the coming gathered at Parliament. Ken’s election. Only two MPs - Metiria “Buds and Buddies Road Trip To Turei and Nandor Tanczos Parliament” had arrived. From took up the invitation. However, High Noon to 4:20 the Cannabus National leader John Key put in crew and supporters - about 40 a brief appearance. As he was people all up - gathered on the getting into a car, Ken waved Beehive’s front lawn to proclaim him over. Key had no idea what their message - Stop Locking Our it was about, but it being election People Up. year and all, he schmoozed over to meet and greet. Ken gave him our message - “Stop locking people up for cannabis.” Key said he would “take it into consideration” and escaped to his car. Maori Party MP Hone Harawira came over for a brief chat. He said he was just there 15 May: Key meets Dakta to get away from Buds and Buddies

Parliament for a few minutes, but to give credit where due, he was willing to talk to us and seemed reasonably open minded. Human Rights Posse from Taranaki did some irie hip hop and a sound system helped keep the vibe going. Many joints were passed around during the afternoon, and 13 May: Ken & Metiria in Wgtn the sight and smell of cannabis would realised we were getting away have been obvious to anyone with with it. eyes and a nose. Yet the cops and Rumor has it that the order security acted like they didn’t came from “up high” to leave us notice. One of the security guts alone. Whatever. The point is, actually thanked us for providing we openly smoked cannabis in music - it must get pretty boring, Parliament grounds, and no one standing around there all day. was arrested. To light up in the forecourt of It’s another step on our road to Babylon, where the laws against freedom. us are made, was a liberating experience - especially as we

NOW & THEN 2008 TOBACCONISTS & GIFTS SMOKER’S SUPPLIES 6 TOTARA AVE, NEW LYNN NEW MANAGEMENT NEW STOCK (& OLD FAVOURITES) NEW SMILES T/H MON-FRI 9.00 - 6.00 SAT 9.00 - 5.00 PH 09 827 0705 www.NORML.org.nz

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INTERVIEW

Rasta reason The Dread has left the House. New Zealand’s highest profile cannabis campaigner is no longer a Green MP, but in this discussion with Chris Fowlie, Ras Nandor Tanczos says you can expect to hear more from him soon. Chris: Gidday mate, and welcome back to the land of regular people! What were your expectations at the beginning? The impression perhaps was that you felt disappointed with your time there or with what happened. Nandor: I went in really expecting nothing from the place. I joined the green party because I felt there was a kaupapa that was vital for the 21st century the Greens were the only party that had anything to say of relevance to the world we were going into as far as I could see. So I wanted to support that kaupapa. When the Green party became independent of the Alliance I got involved in various activities as you will remember. When people in the party asked me if I was going to stand or asked me to stand as an MP I thought about it a lot, because I come from an anarchist background, I’m a Rastafarian, both of those things we don’t really engage in parliamentary politics. And I never expected anything from parliament. I’ve never seen parliament as a place where

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real change is going to happen, progressive change, the kind of change that we need is going to happen. I stood because we had a chance to and I felt it was important that there was someone in parliament who was outside of the box. To say, you can be yourself, and you can be in there, and you can cut it and you can be as good as any of them, but you can be yourself. You don’t have to conform to all that bullshit about who you’ve got to be to be a power broker. I wanted to break down prejudice. I wanted to confront them with the reality of who we are, which I think I have done after nine years. Interesting the things that people are saying about me when I left compared to what they were saying about me when I entered are quite different. So I went in really as a symbolic thing as much as anything else. And I never expected to be able to do anything useful in parliament because I already recognised it as a place coopted by corporate agendas and coopted by power itself, you know people become inflated with their own self importance because of those

positions of power so when I came out telling them off it wasn’t that I was disappointed or disillusioned, it wasn’t as though I had any illusions in the first place, but nevertheless those things still need to be said. You said you were there for almost symbolic reasons and yet it was the things that you stood for, the symbols as such, that got held against you. Your hair, your alleged cannabis use. Because of these reasons, doors were closed. And that got in the way of some of the things I was trying to do. Let me say as well that having gone in kind of symbolically, what I discovered, the first thing I discovered was that there were more opportunities to make changes than I had at first thought. What I hadn’t realized was the power of being there, having a seat at the table, having a vote at the table. The ability to articulate dissent is an important one even if it doesn’t change the result. To articulate it and have it on the record. We need a historical record of those that stood www.NORML.org.nz

INTERVIEW

standing aside, some of that blockage would go away. Now I am actually optimistic that the tide for cannabis law reform is still coming in. And I hope that now someone will pick up the championing of the cause in parliament but who doesn’t have the same political liability that I have. Where is that going to come from - who is our next hope?

report, its still actually an excellent report that lays out what the issues are, lays out still a pretty good guide to the health impacts and all those things, it does weigh up all the policy options, it doesn’t come up with a recommendation saying Dreadzone: Left: Nandor leaving the we should change [but] if you read debating chamber for the last time; those pros and cons its pretty clear top: campaigning on the first NORML that prohibition is the worst one. So bus tour, circa 1992; below: standing those Select Committee reports they up for drug law reform at J Day; right: actually do have impact. I’m sure the on the election trail in 1999. select committees report is part of the things that’s changed the attitude. There was really good coverage of against them. You can change things, I changed the issues through that inquiry and legislation, I made amendments, I introduced also people came and made representations legislation. I’ve made a practical difference for the first time to a select committee, really in terms of legislation and policy which I’m courageously. I was really impressed and really proud of, but also after going through inspired by all the people that came forward. that I then also came back to the realisation I think it did make a difference. I certainly that the changes that you can make in there are wouldn’t want those people to think that it limited, because the place is so co-opted and was a waste of their time, because I don’t governments and almost all political parties think it was. in there are so compromised by corporate Coming back to your earlier question, the fact agendas and their own self importance, that I was a dreadlocked Rastafarian, that I openly the really fundamental changes that we need used cannabis and unashamedly and are honest to make in the world today - I just don’t see about it you know and all the kinds of stuff them coming from them. that goes with being part of the marginalized, The cannabis inquiry got stalled for political outside the main stream, I think it was really reasons, purely to get back at the Greens for important being there but there is no doubt Corngate or whatever. Yet cannabis arrests that that also created an obstacle, which is have dropped about 20 percent every year why after two terms of holding the cannabis since then. Society has changed and the drug policy portfolio, even though I was an expert at drug policy, I gave the portfolio up Police have changed. I think that the cannabis inquiry did have a because it became increasingly apparent that really big impact even though we didn’t get I had become an obstacle to change. Having the law changed. I mean if you go back to the kinda opened the door by being open about it also became a blockage. My hope was that by www.NORML.org.nz

I’m not sure, I haven’t seen it coming forward yet. I don’t know where it is going to come from, but you know its early days yet. No one was going to pick it up while I was in Parliament maybe now that I’m out, that will create a space. In some ways the real thing is again a conscience vote because there are a lot of people in National who want to support law reform, and if you generally follow the kaupapa of the National Party, you should support drug law reform. This is the curious thing about the left and right thing, and why I for a long time have tried to position myself outside that continuum. In a lot of issues I’m left wing, there is no doubt about it, but cannabis law reform seems to me more intrinsically more a right wing issue than a left wing issue because it is about individual freedom. In hindsight we came really close to changing the law about five years ago. If get to a similar position, what can we learn from that so we actually get something through? I do blame myself a lot for the missed opportunity. I think if I’d been more experienced I personally could have done more, in that just being less reasonable I think. More pig headed and arm twisting, Its The Greens’ Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill will legalise the medicinal use of cannabis for patients who have the approval of their doctor. The bill covers any condition “where the use of cannabis may alleviate the pain and suffering associated with that condition or the treatment of that condition”. Registered patients would be able to grow their own. If they are unable to, they could nominate a friend or caregiver to do it for them. For more info see www.greens.org.nz/campaigns/ cannabis Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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can vote, I just think their chances of that happening I t w a s n ’t are so remote as to be more or less irrelevant. the Green I think in terms of voting Party that it’s still more useful to vote for the Green Party made cannabis because you know that you law reform a are voting for people who support law reform. I think political issue, it that the Green Party is not was NORML.” going to make cannabis law reform an election issue, they are just not going to difficult because the party, my party … it was a contentious issue within the Green Party, do that anymore, but I think that they will - if and that made it more difficult, but what we the opportunity arises - they will pick it up. should have done is just said “you will change Like Metiria Turei, who’s our drug policy the fucken law”, actually what we should of portfolio, she’s got a members bill on medical done is said “No inquiry, we don’t want a marijuana. She’s being strategic about it, she fucken inquiry, you will change the law this hasn’t introduced it into parliament, ‘cos she year otherwise we are pulling the plug.” That knows right now we’d lose the votes. She wants to get it through and she’s working to is what we should have done. I hear some criticism from activists who do that, not necessarily in major headlines. blame the Greens for not doing enough. She is quietly working away on it. I think that, like with most political issues, I think that the What is your response to that. Is it fair? It’s a difficult question, and it depends from what position you are looking at it from. There is no doubt that the Greens have done more for drug law reform than any other party in parliament, sensible drug policy in general they are the only party in parliament, so I think it would be unfair to not acknowledge that. At the same time, because it was controversial within the party and key people were very hesitant about it, I think the Greens made a strategic error. Because some people were hesitant about it, I was kind of hobbled from pursing the issue as aggressively as it needed to be done. The Green Party made a collective decision, the caucus made a collective decision against my view and the view of some others like Rod Donald and Keith Locke. There was a collective decision not to aggressively go out and promote cannabis law reform but to kind of defend ourselves when attacked. Now that was inadequate. What we needed to do was go aggressively and take the issue out there, ‘cos we had all the arguments, we had all the evidence, we would have won any argument that we entered in to and if we had been wholeheartedly about it as a party I think we could have gone a lot further. So I guess what I am saying is yes and no. We did more that any other party, and I think the Green Party should get credit for that, but we made a strategic error collectively. But moving forward, the reality is what are your choices: the legalise cannabis campaign [ALCP] for all their commitment and passion are not going to be in parliament, so people

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I never expected anything from parliament. I’ve never seen parliament as a place where real change is going to happen”

movement has to take leadership again. That is the only way you are going to get it on the agenda, and the only way it got on the agenda in the first place was that the movement put it on the agenda. It wasn’t the Green Party that made cannabis law reform a political issue, it was NORML. It was NORML who made it a political issue. The Green Party were just the

ally, the Green Party didn’t make it a political issue. So, its going to be the same thing again. Political parties rarely make things political issues. Mostly it is the movement that makes the issue and the political party will champion it in parliament. To be effective what we need to do as a movement is sit down and really look at what have we been doing, what have we got, who have we got, what are our resources and how can we use that strategically? There are people in the movement who are really good at some stuff but are really unhelpful in other areas. You know we need to collectively go, let’s be strategic, who have we got, lets make sure that everyone has their place, stuff they like to do, lets get them doing that, so that we move forward together. There is still a lot of division in the movement which I think is going to hinder forward progress. As an MP what was it about the movement you were impressed with, and from a parliamentarians point of view, what have we got going for us? It’s hard for me to give a clear picture right now because I’ve been so in that world, its really focused. There is a lot of good things going on. There’s some really amazing people, committed people, there is a wealth of information, really good information. There is a magazine that goes out nationally which communicates to the network. There is still a massive latent support for law reform. In a way the thing that really struck me during the cannabis enquiry, and that debate in Dunedin, is ordinary people getting up and I think really honestly, and it just cuts through all that bullshit. That is really powerful, just the honesty and integrity of that thing is really, really powerful, I think. There is still a lot there to work with, it’s just kind of bringing it all together and building a bit of momentum. I think the challenges are once again finding things for people to do that’s going to take us forward. The thing that worries me is there is a www.NORML.org.nz

INTERVIEW

backlash for drugs reform based around P, and it’s being used once again to target drug users. So you see the clown up north who wants to drug test all school kids, all sorts. This stuff is building momentum because there is money to be made and people are fearful of P - and probably fairly so - but there are a whole lot of people who are there to exploit those fears. So there is that going on, but there is things like what is going on internationally, there is a review of international conventions, you’ve got these really evidencebased impartial organizations like the Drug Foundation, who I think are really helpful because they are not seen as a lobby group, they are being this kind of authoritative voice, but when you look at the kind of stuff, the evidence they have got, the evidence is the evidence. Something that we have always been strong on is we look to the evidence as opposed to our opponents. One of things I think is we have to find a way of breaking out of our locked in camps. It came up during the Dunedin debate again and I thought it was an interesting point. I looked at Jim Anderton who was just locked into his mindframe, and to our side - there were some people there on our side of the debate who were also just totally locked into their mindset. Now we have to find some way of crossing that bridge. I think that all these people are locked into the prohibition mindset ‘cos they are scared. I think we can meet all their needs. I’m sure there is a way of communicating so that we breakdown some of this locked in opposition and free things up a bit. I’m sure there is a way of doing that, y’know, and I think that is one thing we have to focus on, because otherwise what happens is the opposition just builds so we end up with a balance on both sides, and if the opposing forces were balanced we would lose. We are trying to change things, not maintain the status quo, so we have to find some way of reducing that opposition by acknowledging those real fears that people feel. We’ve got to hear our opponents. So what’s next for you? You’re chilling out in a house truck in the middle of the Waikato somewhere. Yeah, finishing a house truck in the middle of the Waikato. We are living in it and it’s good, but there are still things that need to www.NORML.org.nz

be finished. Growing veges, planting trees, raising chickens and family, so that’s all good. I’m looking at going back to do some tertiary study. I think in parliament you soak up information through your skin, it’s like you just get filled up with information, but there is no time to reflect, so there’s no wisdom - its just ‘stuff’. That’s why there is so little wisdom in that place. Wisdom comes from reflection

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There is no doubt that the Greens have done more for drug law reform than any other party in parliament”

Rastafarian rights Italy’s appeals court has ruled that because Rastafarians consider cannabis a sacrament, followers should be given special consideration when it comes to possession - and how much qualifies for trafficking. A reggae musician had been sentenced to 16 months in prison by a lower court after being found in possession of enough cannabis for approximately 70 joints. The Court of Cassation annulled his sentence, saying the amount appeared appropriate for personal use considering the heavy amounts that Rastafarians smoke, and ordered an appellate court to review the case. Source: Reuters 10 July 2008

want to be part of pushing that. You get left and right commentators, you don’t get green commentators. Like the Herald has the ‘green pages’ but its all like take a shorter shower and change your light bulbs, which is cool but it’s also very shallow. I’ve always loved to do education so doing workshopping around Treaty issues, sustainability issues, political stuff into adult education, and also maybe see if I can get into schools and do like civic education in schools and breakdown political stuff for kids. So I’m trying to kind of put a package of these things together to see if I can do work that accords with my heart and also earns me enough money to make a living. I don’t need to earn a lot, we live pretty simply in a bus, ha ha.

and there is no time for reflection, so going back to university would be a way for me to reflect a bit and do some deep thinking, and I’m looking forward to doing that. But also needing to make a living so I’m trying to establish a business, ‘cos looking at the last nine years in parliament I’ve picked up an enormous amount of information about stuff and also about political processes and I want to make that information and expertise available to the community and to NGOs, not to corporates - fuck them - but to community organisations, people doing positive stuff. I want to help I want to help to deconstruct deconstruct the the system system and help people become more and help people politically effective. become more Also a bit of media politically effective” work, there is a real space for a deep green analysis and public debate, so I

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TRAVEL

he third and final installment of Pauly’s trip to Amsterdam is a cuppa and a joint or 3 with Hempwork’s, Amsterdam’s only hemp dedicated store, who also happen to make the “Hemp HoodLamb” brand of clothing and have won multiple Cannabis Cups with their “THSeeds” range of marijuana seeds.

Pauly: So just for the record Adam, how long have you been in operation here in

Amsterdam? Adam: We started in 1993. Back then it was called CIA, Cannabis In Amsterdam was the acronym, and the original thing was it was a counter culture centre. We didn’t have as much product as we have now, some hats from America which were considered quite expensive, $11 I recall which is not that expensive now but that was before people started paying $50- $60 you know. So we started selling the merchandise to some of the shops, Greenhouse, Serious Seeds Company and the Bulldog but a lot of companies weren’t into it, they thought it was too expensive, not realizing you get what you pay for. What would you say is your main role in cannabis culture in Amsterdam? Well quite unfortunately actually we are the only dedicated hempstore in town. Its slowly getting to the point where other shops are starting to carry our stuff but only in bits and bobs, and only the touristy stuff. We realized that if you want to sell a really high quality product

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PHOTOS: PAUL.Y.PAUL

Hempworks is like the Hemp Store in A’dam, and you couldn’t meet a cooler crew of dedicated stoners, so I felt right at home from the get go. I actually hadn’t checked my itinerary upon landing and the first shop I happened to walk into was this one. I just introduced myself, said I worked in the Hempstore in NZ and the next thing you know I was in the backroom puffin on some of the best strains in the world rigging up an interview. That’s what I’m talkin about! Of all the places I visited they were the only ones who would consistently roll big fatties of straight up high grade. No spliffs, no hash, just the good shit. This impressed me no end, as most people in Europe won’t smoke straight joints. Anyhoo I pulled up a couch with Adam Dunn to talk shop.

you want the surrounding to be high quality too. You don’t want a really expensive item in a cheap store, otherwise people don’t see why they should spend so much. So we’ve made the store a high end hemp shop, we sell high end quality seeds and high end quality products so everyone understands that when they walk in the door that we’re not just like other stores. [At this point Adam has just crafted an enormous number of the one and only Trainwreck. Time to move the interview along before it lives up to its name I say... ] What are the new and exciting products on the shelf at Hempwork’s? Right now as we are moving into the winter season, our flagship is the Hoodlamb jacket. It’s got a lot of features on it; thick fur liner, (20% hemp fur I might add) wind resistant, built in paper dispenser, secret pockets, its one of those items that if your friends got one you can guarantee their mates gonna want one too. Is it true it can be made bulletproof? Yeah we can, we’ve sold about 20 of them so far which is surprising, but its great for doormen who don’t have to look like they are all suited up. You just feel like its www.NORML.org.nz

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a winter jacket so your not immediately a target. We made one for Snoop Dogg, that was the original one. Holland is not the most fashionable of places so we also have a completely new summer line based on bamboo, soy and hemp. The bamboo has good breathability, the soy is very soft, and the hemp is the strongest natural fibre in the world so its a great combination. Yeah we are also working on a glass pipe line now called Snob and this will be available during the Cup. Multi-chambered bongs, full colours, and they will all have a marble in the base so it magnifies through the water, for the stoners to appreciate. Its great as a kiwi to see hemp culture thriving here in Amsterdam. Something that people don’t realize is that when people buy hemp in America its for the cause, when people buy hemp over here its for the quality of the material. People know its good and that’s why they buy it, so we have to have products that are wearable and sellable. In America they can get away with a lot more because people will spend $50 on a shirt just to feel a connection to the industry, and might not buy weed for a couple of weeks but they have that shirt! The most frequently asked question in American hemp stores funnily enough though is ‘can I buy some weed’? Yeah we get that all the time too bro. [note to readers please stop asking!] The culture surrounding cannabis started in America too didn’t it? That’s right and what people don’t realize about Holland is that although it has this history they are mostly dedicated towards their hash. They’ve only started getting into their weed in the last 5 - 10 years, and in those years

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its been the American influence of the people that came here to escape America, but as many people know its biting us in the ass right now because California is going off the hook and more people are moving to Cali than A’dam because A’dam is becoming a lot tighter and Cali is becoming more lenient. Is the seed selling and ganja market getting more competitive here? Well it is in some ways, but it is getting more incestuous and watered down in other ways. When we first started was just a handful of companies, but in the last 5 years it has really mushroomed out a lot. But it is the same people backing almost 20 seed companies, throwing names out there and selling whatever. Compared with other companies who have a lot more money and resources we have slowly worked our way up the market. We started with Sage 14 years ago and now we have about 20 strains, whereas with some other companies its like a Chinese restaurant where you have 5000 dishes on the menu and you wonder if its the same thing or is it actually 5000 different dishes! And it’s not. With us 20 is enough, it’s actually too much and we want to drop a few because its hard to maintain the quality. So what’s the standout strains for you guys? The number one strains for us are Sage, Sage’n’Sour, MK Ultra, and we have the Hog. The Sage really stands out for not being like all the other hazes. Most hazes come from Neville’s haze, a great plant with a great flavour, but it was a group of plants that came from central California in the mid 70’s that we used. So the sage is a hazy sativa crossed with a pure afghan called Mazer-il-Sharif. The difference I noticed is that it has a freshness to it. People tend to have a love/ hate relationship with it. It’s too intense for some people. Some have been thrown out of coffeeshops for lighting it up, it has a kinda weird burnt rubber smell to it. Interestingly enough people in Minnesota called it ‘Kawasaki’ for that reason. Smell is very important to us, that it is unique, like right now we’re smoking a strain called Trainwreck, from Arcadia, California. It’s quite famous, and has been around for almost 20 years now. Its almost a bonsai plant, is a little bit difficult to grow, but the flavours are intense. The smell is best described as methylated dead whale, whatever that smells like! It’s got a putrid but sweet smell to it and the effect is intense. [I can vouch for Adam on that one, I’m starting to see 2 dictaphones at this point] So we’re crossing this one with the Mazer-

PHOTOS: above: a glass bucket bong. Left: THSeed strains; Previous pages: Adam skinning up and the Hempworks store front. il-Sharif and we’re gonna call it A-train, which will be our cup entry this year. The strains in our stable are tested by people on a natural selection like Sour Diesel, OG Kush, Hogs Breath, da Purps, Trainwreck. All these varieties have established themselves in the local communities. We have philosophies on reworking strains that other companies don’t have, but at a certain point if you don’t rework them some of them will disappear, so its like a service to the culture. ‘To protect genetics and serve mankind’ is our motto. There is a lot of strains that will go missing if something isn’t done. Then there’s always people who have their back in the day stories, some hippy with a story of how the weed used to be stronger and yet every study comes back saying the weed is stronger, we have more flavours, and are more refined and on top of it than ever! And on that note we’ll bring to an end the Hempworks interview. Thanks to Adam, Doug, Caroline and all the crew at Hempworks for the hospitality and knowledge - keep the fires burning y’all. That’s also the final chronic-le of Pauly Paul for this round. Its been great bringing my tales of doobie’s and debauchery to you, and I heartily recommend getting your ass over there where you can create some chronic-les of your own. Peace out... Hempworks is at Nieuwendijk 13 in the center of Amsterdam, just 5 minutes from Central Station. www.hempworks.nl www.hemphoodlamb.com www.thseeds.com

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PHOTOS: PAUL.Y.PAUL & THSEEDS.COM

TRAVEL

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

FEATURE

s i b a n Can ! a d a Can While their country swings from decrim to crackdown, Canada’s potheads keep pushing for legal weed. By Dana Larsen. PHOTOS BY GUPPY FISH

he past fifteen years have seen amazing growth and development in Canada’s cannabis culture. Although marijuana remains illegal, and indeed more Canadians are behind bars for pot-related offences than ever before, the marijuana movement is very strong, and many great strides have been taken to increase access to industrial hemp, medicinal marijuana, and accurate information. Also, more Canadians are smoking marijuana than ever before, with almost 17% of adult Canadians toking up each year, a higher rate than any country in Europe or the Americas. CANADIAN HEMP Canada legalized the cultivation of low-THC industrial hemp in 1998, and the country now has a thriving and expanding industrial hemp industry, with about 10,000 hectares being cultivated each year. Most of the hemp is grown for seed production, and hemp seed oil and food products are now available in most mainstream grocery stores. The biggest market for Canadian hemp products is the USA. In 2001, the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) tried blocking imports of hemp oil and other hemp food products, claiming that even the tiniest amounts of detectable THC made them illegal. Canadian hempsters finally won

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

legal access to the US market in 2004, after a three-year court battle with the DEA. Canadiangrown hemp is now the number one source of hemp seed oil and food products in the USA. MEDICAL MARIJUANA The Canadian government was forced to create a medical marijuana program in 2000, after major court rulings threatened to strike down the entire prohibition against marijuana if medicinal access was not allowed. Now thousands of Canadians have a government-issued permit to grow and possess a limited amount of marijuana for their own medicinal use. The Canadian government is even growing marijuana, and selling it to patients for about $6 a gram. Yet unfortunately the government-grown cannabis is notoriously low-quality patients receive a finely-ground mix of buds, leaves and stalks which has been irradiated and freeze-dried. One independent test of the government marijuana showed it to be high in heavy metals such as arsenic. There is another source for medicinal marijuana however - an increasing number of “compassion clubs” across Canada are selling marijuana to thousands of patients who have a doctor’s note, but no legal permit. Most major Canadian cities now have one or more of these medicinal marijuana

WANTED MAN: MARC EMERY FACES EXTRADITION TO THE US - AND POSSIBLE LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR SELLING MARIJUANA SEEDS clubs, and although they do sometimes face raids in smaller communities, they seem to face little persecution in any big city. One of the biggest and oldest clubs is based in Vancouver, now celebrating 11 years in business and serving over 2500 clients. MARC EMERY FACES EXTRADITION One of the biggest potrelated stories in Canada is how Vancouver marijuana activist Marc Emery is facing extradition to the USA, along with two of his employees. Emery, whom the media has dubbed “The Prince of Pot”, has been a driving force behind Canada’s marijuana legalization movement since he opened a

Vancouver store called Hemp BC in 1994. Bongs, pipes and other paraphernalia were all banned in Canada at that time, as was information about growing marijuana, including High Times magazine. Emery’s store did booming business and spawned imitators across the country, to whom Emery offered advice and wholesale merchandise. Emery soon added marijuana seeds to his inventory, and they quickly became the most profitable and successful part of his revolutionary operation. Emery’s success got him on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in December 1995, leading to a deluge of media attention. The Vancouver police retaliated with a serious raid one www.NORML.org.nz

month later in January 1996. Officers cleaned out the Hemp BC store, seized Emery’s large stash of seeds and charged him with multiple paraphernalia and seed related offenses. Emery re-opened his store the next day, and took a year to slowly rebuild his business. By 1997 he had successfully expanded his store to include the Cannabis Cafe, which featured a custom-built vaporizer built into every table. Yet police returned in December 1997, and then

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launched multiple raids during 1998, repeatedly seizing all of Emery’s stock and eventually forcing the store to shut down entirely. Despite the financial devastation and legal challenges, Emery persisted, switching his marijuana seed business to mail-order only, and focusing his efforts on publishing Cannabis Culture magazine. In 2001, Emery founded the BC Marijuana Party, and ran candidates across the province.

“I’ve been arrested 10 times since 1994, and jailed on eight of those occasions,” explained Emery in a 2002 interview. “I’ve been found guilty of numerous counts of trafficking in marijuana seeds, but the courts here don’t give me anything more than a reasonable fine. Since I stopped selling seeds over the counter, the police seem to have decided I’m not worth the effort, as my seed business hasn’t been raided since 1998. I continue to carry the world’s largest selection of marijuana seeds available by mailorder.” Yet the Vancouver police hadn’t given up on Emery. Unable to punish him sufficiently under Canadian law, they handed over their files to the American DEA, and assisted the Americans in gathering evidence against him. Their work paid off in July 2005, when Emery and two employees

VANCOUVER J DAY were arrested for violating American law by sending marijuana seeds to customers in the US. In a statement following Emery’s arrest, DEA head Karen Tandy wrote that Emery’s bust was “not only a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the US and Canada, but also the marijuana legalization movement.” She added that “Emery and his organization had been designated as one of the Attorney General’s most wanted international drug trafficking organizational targets - one of only 46 in the world and the only one from Canada.” Acknowledging that Emery donated most of his profits to the legalization movement, Tandy concluded that “Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery’s illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on.” Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

Cannabis Canada!

lounge where guests can smoke marijuana or use a vaporizer. Like other such locations, ours is strictly “bring your own bud.” There was a time when anyone could buy marijuana over the counter in Vancouver. For seven wonderful months during 2004, a cafe called Da Kine openly sold marijuana to their customers from their storefront on Commercial Drive. Vancouver Police raided the cafe after it had received extensive media attention, and founder Carol Gwilt spent six months behind bars after being convicted for trafficking. A SWING TO THE RIGHT

BONG HITS AT A VANCOUVER CANNABIS RALLY Interestingly, Emery paid income tax on all of his income generated from his seed business, totalling more than $500,000 in taxes between 1999 to 2005. He always listed “marijuana seed vendor” as his occupation. Over the past three years Emery and his two employees have been free on bail while engaged in a lengthy extradition process. Their extradition hearing is now scheduled for February 2009. It is very rare for such extradition requests to be denied, and most legal observers predict that Emery will eventually be extradited and face decades in an American prison. Despite facing extradition and no longer able to sell marijuana seeds, Emery has thrived. He has been interviewed and covered in a number of prominent venues, including Rolling Stone magazine, National Geographic and a feature documentary by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation which has been repeatedly shown on Canadian TV. Also, Emery’s already large BC Marijuana Party store has recently expanded upwards, taking over the two floors above his storefront to increase the

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

retail space and also create a large “Vapor Lounge” that includes a pool table, foosball, and many vaporizers for customer use. Emery’s also taken over a grocery store across the street, renaming it to the 420 Convenience Store. WELCOME TO VANSTERDAM Ten blocks down the street from Emery’s store, the Vancouver Seed Bank is celebrating two years of operation. As one of the founders, I am proud that our store not only sells hundreds of varieties of marijuana seeds, but also distributes seeds for other banned and controversial plants, including peyote, tobacco, opium poppies and Peruvian coca. We ship marijuana seeds anywhere in the world, except for the USA. Next door to our Seed Bank we are about to open a Medical Cannabis Dispensary, providing another outlet for marijuana-using patients to get their medicine. Our Seed Bank location also includes an outdoor garden and indoor

2004 was the year that Canada seemed on the verge of decriminalization. The governing Liberal party had renewed their decades-old promise to eliminate jail as a penalty for personal pot possession, and had written up legislation to introduce substantial fines as the new penalty, while also increasing sentences for pot trafficking and cultivation. Yet even this small step sideways never occurred, as the Liberals continued to delay their decrim promise as they had for decades, and then lost power in the 2004 federal election. The right-wing Conservative party won a minority government, and immediately stopped any discussion of decriminalization, instead moving aggressively to adopt a US-style drug war. The Conservatives have recently introduced legislation which includes mandatory minimum sentences for a wide variety of “drug crimes”, including six months in jail for growing even a single marijuana plant. Under the proposed new law, running a compassion club would net a two-year minimum sentence, with no room for

discretion by the judge. This new drug law has not yet been passed, and has been criticized by all the parties in opposition to the government. Yet the Conservatives have already successfully passed a new law against “drugged driving”, which empowers police to demand samples of bodily fluids from drivers suspected of being impaired by illegal drugs. A positive test result could earn a $1000 fine and a suspended driving license. Earlier this year, the Conservatives launched a multi-million dollar anti-drug advertising campaign, in an attempt to frighten Canadians into supporting their new strict laws. Yet public sentiment has been turning against the drug war, with recent polls showing more than half of Canadians support complete legalization of marijuana, while medicinal marijuana has an approval rating over 90%. Canada is a small nation of only 30 million people, bordering against the world’s most powerful military machine. Perhaps if Canada succeeds in ending the drug war in our country, we will be able to set a good example for our neighbours to the south. Canadians have often helped out our American cousins when their own government has oppressed them. The underground railroad of escaped American slaves ended in freedom in Canada. During the Vietnam war, Canada accepted draft dodgers and others fleeing the American war machine. Now perhaps Canada can help to lead America out of the drug war, and into an era of peace and pot. If Canada fails, the world will be a darker place. > Marc Emery: www. CannabisCulture.com > Vancouver Seed Bank: www. VancouverSeedBank.ca > Dana Larsen is former editor of Cannabis Culture magazine.

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

POT culture

THE CUPS and some of the 14 entries

the 5th annual

auckland

cannabis cup

OUTDO

OR CHA MP!

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY CHRIS FOWLIE

TE KAKARIKI

2008 Outdoor champ by Maori Wowie

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

AUCKLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CANNA cup moved to a new location this year - a surprisingly lush and completely hidden inner city oasis with a dancefloor, waterfalls, mirror balls, and ganja galore - located downwind from the cop shop. One hundred carefully selected judges had their work cut out evaluating the 14 entries. Points were awarded for looks, smell, taste and effect. Many agreed the outdoor entries were particularly good this year. Not only was the defending 3x indoor champ Te Kakariki back as an outdoor (grown in a grey lynn backyard), there were eight other kick-ass strains, including the defending champ Coronaki Afi. In a close www.NORML.org.nz

MOTHER’S FINEST by F.A.B. TURTLE by Hempy Boy, with a bowl of cup regulation pre-rolled joints (PRJ’s)

AK47 the 2008 Indoor champ (bottom) with its outdoor sister (top), both from Te Rohe Potae

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

auckland

cannabis cup

OUTDOOR RHINO by Lee

battle Te Kakariki eventually came out the winner - taking home a cup 4 years in a row! And in a nice twist, the indoor cup was taken out by the boys from Te Rohe Potae, who had previously tried to win the outdoor cup. This year they submitted an indoor AK47 and went home the winner. Nice!

CORONAKI AFI by Flying High

Official Results 2008 1st: 2nd: 3rd:

INDOOR CUP AK47 from Te Rohe Potae Mother’s Finest by F.A.B. Bang! by Liberty

2008 1st: 2nd: 3rd:

OUTDOOR CUP Te Kakariki by Maori Wowie Turtle by Hempy boy Mountain Rhino by Ganja Guru

MORE PHOTOS of cup entries are on pages 4, 6 & 12-17, plus we’ll have plenty more in the next issue.

SERIOUS JUDGING

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

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Gro potting mix makes growing healthy plants easy. Gro potting mix is a peat based organic mix and is fundamentally different to other bark based potting mixes.

Gro potting mix contains perlite and vermiculite to help maintain soil structure even after prolonged periods of heavy watering.

Peat is produced by nature and is plentiful in NZ. Peat has an even consistency and great air and water retention characteristics that promote vigorous root growth.

Gro potting mix can also be used as a soilless medium in hydroponic gardens. The organic nutrients and bacteria already present in Gro will not compound with your favourite fertilizers to burn your precious plants.

Gro potting mix contains neem cake which is also an organic fertilizer as well as a natural pesticide. Neem is a natural wonder!!! Gro potting mix contains lime and a wetting agent to ensure consistent pH and moisture levels throughout the medium, even over extended periods.

Organic gardeners now have a medium, which can be used as a base for other organic additives. Hydro-organic cultivation has the potential to grow vigorous, big crops while retaining delicious, full organic flavours and aromas. In reticulation systems the pump filters will need to be cleaned more frequently.

Now available in 50 litre bulk packs and 30 litre carry bags.

Only at the best Gro shops.

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

BUSH DOCTOR

Big, fat, heavy I

buds!

sn’t that what all growers aim for? There are certain products which will stimulate plants to do exactly that. It is as simple as adding a few drops of this or that to radically alter growth characteristics and increase yields.

YODAxBB (seeded)

These Plant Growth Regulators (PGR’s) are marketed under various brand names, which I won’t mention here. You’ll recognize these products by their enticing packaging and big, fat price tags. They are expensive because they allow commercial growers to vastly increase their yields & profitability. Big time! When I was in Australia recently on a research mission, I was disappointed to not be able to find any indoor ganja which had not been thoroughly dosed with PGR’s. It all looked good - heavy nuggets that turned into mini mountains of mull. Unfortunately, those fat, heavy buds tasted like watered down versions of what they should be. That is because PGR’s inhibit trichome development, which is clearly visible when you see a treated

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

and an untreated bud side by side. Much less crystals. The Bush Doctor has done lots of experiments with PGR’s since they first appeared here a few years ago. Initially it was mind blowing to go from growing sausage sized buds to growing football sized buds. It became a challenge to stay ahead of botrytis though, especially YODAMASTA with strains that are genetically predisposed to growing tight buds anyway such as many of the Afghani’s and berries. The lesser yielding, but generally more flavorsome strains such as Black Domina, Jack Herer, Strawberry Cough etc can be more manageable when given PGR’s. These strains often contain other sativa genetic traits like longer internodal spaces, strong complex flavors and a relatively psychoactive stoning. PGR’s will make them grow shorter, heavier & denser but they will lose flavor and quality of high. Very low doses can be useful, however, for inhibiting revegetative growth due to excessive temperature or lights being too close. For those growing for money, PGR’s more than pay for themselves no matter how expensive they are. But for those growing for pleasure and to grow the nicest pot they can, stay well

YODA ORANGE SKUNK away! There are other, less detrimental, ways of increasing yields. Carbon dioxide is very under-utilized amongst growers in NZ. When u s e d c o r r e c t l y, C O ² can increase yields by up to 20%. Plants will grow faster, have thicker stems and larger leaves. However, high humidity is associated with CO² rich air, which will have adverse effects on swelling buds. Growers can introduce CO² into the grow room a day or two before switching the lamps from 18/6 to 12/12, and run it for about 25 days, until all leaf growth has stopped and the bud sites are swelling. The grow room temperature can be allowed to rise to 26ºC - 30ºC. Growth is phenomenal during this phase and can be clearly measured daily. Then, when the increased amount of bud sites have established themselves and are starting to thicken, switch off the CO² and increase the airflow to reduce the temperature back down to 18ºC - 24ºC. By then the CO² has done its job of producing a fast growing, robust plant capable of supporting heavy buds, and the room is set to produce a bumper crop. Anyway, that’s all from the Bush Doc for now. Next time I’ll write about the digital revolution in lighting technology among other things. Grow safe!

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

’S GUIDE TO

safer CANNABIS USE

Although the vast majority of people who use cannabis suffer no harm, some people do experience problems. Ensure that your cannabis use does not impair your health, family, employment and education, and try to have periods of reducing use or not consuming cannabis. amount, if desired. The Replace bong water each Harm reduction: time and regularly sterilise effects of edible cannabis > Remember that “Less is products may be stronger your pipe or bong (eg More” - the less you use, than smoked cannabis. using meths, alcohol or the less you will need, and denture cleaning tablets). the more high you will get. Health warnings: > If you’re into spotting, > NORML recommends > Cannabis is best avoided try using a lower consuming organic by pregnant and breasttemperature. Red hot is too feeding women. cannabis if possible. hot! Cooler knives will give > Heavy long term > Meningitis and other you a much better taste cannabis use may lead to diseases can be transmitted and smoother hit with no some respiratory damage. through saliva, so don’t coughing. Deep tokes and long breath share spit on joints or duration are more harmful > Try other ways of pipes. Try using your hands ingesting cannabis, such to the lungs. Take it easy! like a chillum to hold the as eating or drinking it, or joint. > Water pipes and bongs using a vaporiser to heat help cool the smoke, filter > People with a history the herb and release THC solids, and absorb the of severe mental illness without combustion. most harmful tars in the should reduce any cannabis > When eating cannabis water. Bongs can make use to a level agreed with the smoke very smooth, so preparations, start with a their clinician, or avoid small piece and wait an avoid inhaling too deeply. cannabis altogether. hour before increasing the > People on digitalis or other heart medications should consult their doctors before using cannabis. Adults Only. Cannabis Set and Setting. The > Never consumption is for adults responsible cannabis user consume only. It is irresponsible will carefully consider his/ cannabis to provide cannabis to her mind-set and physical that appears children. Many things setting, and regulate use artificially and activities are suitable accordingly. coloured, as

NORML’s Principles of Responsible Marijuana Use

for young people, but others - including drugs absolutely are not.

Safe Driving. The responsible cannabis consumer does not operate a motor vehicle or other heavy machinery while impaired by cannabis, nor (like other responsible citizens) impaired by any other substance or condition, including prescription medicines or fatigue.

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

it may have been sprayed with a blue toxic poison by the Police. If cannabis has a chemical taste or smell it may contain residue of fertilisers or pesticides. Do not use any cannabis that has mould or fungus on it as these can be very harmful if inhaled. > Be cautious about mixing drugs, as the effect of combining substances is more unpredictable and can increase health risks. Especially use caution when mixing cannabis with depressants such as alcohol as it can make you more out of it than you intended. > Mixing cannabis with tobacco will cause more smoke damage to your lungs, and may make you become nicotine dependent.

> Smoking cannabis as a way of dealing with unpleasant feelings or emotions can sometimes intensify these feelings, or stop you sorting out the problem. If you experience anxiety or paranoia prior to using cannabis it may be made worse. Avoid using cannabis to deal with bad trips, as this can often intensify the experience. > While no-one has ever died from using cannabis, drug prohibition creates crime and violence. Try to stay safe. > People will use cannabis regardless of what the law says. This guide is about helping people make informed choices.

Resist Abuse.

Use of cannabis, to the extent that it impairs health, personal development or achievement, is abuse, to be resisted by responsible cannabis users.

Respect the Rights of Others. The responsible cannabis user does not violate the rights of others, observes accepted standards of courtesy, and respects the preferences of those who wish to avoid cannabis.

Serious about Hemp?

Join the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association Inc.

$100 full membership or $20 supporter. Full membership includes 2 annual copies of the Journal of the International Hemp Association - a must read for hemp industrialists. Join the NZHIA today, and help us to represent the NZ hemp industry. If you would like to receive a membership application form, Send your contact details to the address below.

Name: Phone: Address: Town: NZHIA, PO Box 38392 Howick, Auckland. Fax 09 273 7396 www.NORML.org.nz

KNOW YOUR

RIGHTS! Police Questioning · You have the right to remain silent – including not making a statement or answering questions - but you must give your correct name and address and in some cases date of birth. Talk to a lawyer before saying anything else. · If the Police want you to go with them, ask if you’ve been arrested. · You have the right to talk to your own or a free lawyer on the Bill of Rights list if you’re being questioning about an offence. · If you’re under 17 you have the right to have a supportive adult of your choice with you at the police station. Searches · Always ask why you are being searched. If you don’t want to be searched you must say so. Silence is consent! · The police can only search you, your bag or car if you agree; or they arrest you; or they have a search warrant; or they have reasonable grounds to think you have drugs, or an offensive weapon. · The police can search your home if: you agree; or they have a search warrant; or they have reasonable grounds to think it contains drugs. You are entitled to witness a search but not to obstruct police. · If you are female usually only a policewoman can search you. Arrests, Detainment and Charges · Always ask if you’re being arrested, detained or charged and why. · Don’t run away or resist arrest. · Ask to make a phone call and phone someone you trust. · You don’t have to answer any questions or make a statement. You have the right to talk to a free lawyer. Tell police you want to talk to one on the Bill of Rights list before talking to them. · You have the right to get bail unless there is a good reason for holding you or you have been charged with a very serious offence. www.NORML.org.nz

Going To Court · First appearance: you may enter “no plea”, and in the time until your next appearance, get a copy of your police file and seek legal advice. Ask for “full disclosure” of all the evidence against you. Check with the court registrar if you can get legal aid or see the duty solicitor at court. · If this is your first time being charged, you may be eligible for the police diversion scheme. Ask your lawyer or the police’s duty sergeant for more information. · Otherwise, you can plead Guilty and accept whatever punishment is given to you, or plead Not Guilty and fight the charges. · If you plead Not Guilty you may have the chance to plea bargain at a pre-trial “status hearing”. Try to strike a deal that gets the charges dropped, or negotiate a reduced sentence. · Preparing your defence: write everything down in as much detail as possible. Go through the police evidence and identify any discrepancies or errors. Search the internet, local law libraries and courts.govt.nz to get copies of relevant cases. Remember · Always stay calm and don’t get smart. · Try to get all of the police officer’s names, numbers and police stations. · Try to get someone to witness what the police do. · If the police breach your rights tell your lawyer/a duty solicitor or make a police complaint later, rather than argue at the time. Police Complaints · Independent Police Conduct Authority 0800 503 728; YouthLaw, a lawyer or NORML. Write down everything that happened while you remember. Get photos of any injuries and see a doctor. More info Visit your local community law centre or see www.norml. org.nz/rights or www.Youthlaw. co.nz

KUHUNGUNU RONGOA these plants were taken by the police!

BUSTLINE for civil rights advice & support, call us on

09 302 5255 or in the South Island:

021 399 822

or see our website:

www.norml.org.nz/rights please call weekday daytime only. priority to norml members

more information:

www.norml.org.nz/rights www.norml.org.nz/forum4 www.youthlaw.co.nz www.courtsofnz.govt.nz

LAWYERS who have experience defending cannabis charges (not endorsed or guaranteed by NORML). Whangarei: David Sayes 09 4382154; Nick Leader 09 4384039 Auckland: Peter Winter 09 3797658; Graeme Minchin 025 2122704; Johnnie Kovacevich 09 3093364 or 021 653933; Matt Goodwin 09 3750052 or 0274-999433, Rob Weir 09 3099636; Colin Amery 09 2665910; Marie Dyhrberg 09 3604550; Adam Couchman 09 3733592; Charl Hirschfeld 09 3076997; Maria Pecotic 09 5227399; Owen Harold 09 6304969; Rodney Harrison 09 3034157 Hamilton: Roger Layborne 07 8396288; Emily Coupland 07 8381069 Rotorua: Simon Lance 07 3460796 Palmerston North: Peter Coles 06 3581075 Wairarapa: Peter Broad 021 3264547 or 06-3798049 Wellington: Michael Appleby 0274 403363; Chris Tennet 021 626878 or 04 4711952; Christchurch: David Ruth 03 3745486 Timaru: Tony Shaw 03 6886056 Invercargill: John Pringle 03 2144069 YouthLaw: free legal advice for people under 25 - ph 09 3096967 or see www.youthlaw. co.nz Community Law Centres offer free advice and discounted representation for people of limited means. See www.communitylaw.org. nz for listings Legal Services Agency (legal aid): see www.lsa.govt. nz or ph 0800 600 090 Spr Spr ing ing 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

47 47

law reform

you can help

legalise cannabis!

it, here are do to e els e on me so r fo it wa n’t Do by yourself or some things you can do, right now, with your mates. > 10 MINUTES

! E T O V

format is Email your MP the parliament. @ firstname.lastname rml.org. no w. ww govt.nz or see ost offic.nze p y n a t a l nz/emailMP Enro w.elections.org 00 ENROL Enrol to Vote! Ph 08 s.org.nz see ww r o ion ct ele w. ww e se W, NO ice or your local post off account r ou to e lin Donate on 00 12-3057-0594667site page po op on L RM NO in Jo of the Bus’ us join the ‘Friends a-B nn Ca • Prohibiting drugs doesn’t work, and causes far more harm t 12-3057Support the un ek to the bus acco by donating $5 per we than the use of drugs themselves. 054667-03 • New Zealand has the world’s highest cannabis arrest rate, e editor Write a letter to th and also one of the highest rates of use in the world. e page 47 Learn your rights se onal’ or ‘medical’. • Cannabis law reform overseas has not been associated rs Label your plants ‘pe with increased use. • A strictly-enforced legal age of purchase would most effectively limit juvenile access to cannabis. an in n ow rn how to hold your • Prohibition glamourises drugs and removes control over Raise your voice lea rml.org.nz/ argument at www.no how and to whom it is sold. y Saturday e sit Visit your MP on an po op • Prohibition creates a lucrative black market. It breeds ts en ad our comm Vote this election re mmission’s review of the violence and corruption and supports the growth of Co Take part in the Law vt.nz go m. co law w. organised crime. ww e se tMisuse of Drugs Ac d get their an or ct do ur yo • Prohibition erodes respect for the police and the law, th wi Medical users - talk and drug crimes divert police from crimes that matter. orks support nd your town or netw ou ar ws Ne l • Drug law hypocrisy undermines effective drug rm No er 55,000 Distribute rml.org.nz - read ov no w. ww at education efforts. d me or Get inf online members. 00 60 m fro s • Search and seizure laws trample over everyone’s rights st po forum and freedoms. • Seriously-ill patients are denied the benefits of demonstration, t, er nc co y medical marijuana. Da J a Organise an event like social evening or ing ow sh • Drug laws should be based on evidence, not moral vie mo , public talk, petition m MedSafe fro it rm pe a judgements. for ply ur Grow hemp! Ap Get the backing of yo it. rm pe al • Ending prohibition would save more than $50 million dic me a Apply for Minister of Health e th to ite wr per year, while sales taxes could fund more drug en in th e doctor get activ ohibition group and pr tian al loc education, research and treatment. a rm Fo your area

WHY LEGALISE?

> 1 HOUR OR LESS

> 1 DAY OR MORE

discuss your ideas

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

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JOIN A VAPORITE VAPORISER! & wIN

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Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

SHOW YOUR GROW MASTAYODA

right: Yoda1; below: Yoda x BB; the room.

FIRST TIME GROWER - Ben (by email)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

These Skunk#1 plants were grown using a growth

cycle in the middle of the flowering cycle! Ten plants were flowered from 100mm cuttings for 4 weeks then a 24 hour vege light for 4 to 5 days with one growzilla feed, then back to 12/12 flowering for 6 to 7 weeks. They produced an average of 80g per plant, under a 600w Philips HPS lamp supplemented with 1000ppm CO2 on 24/7. The nutrients were Budzilla and Growzilla, with Canadian Xpress regen A root /Bio balance / Wilt Guard / Earthjuce Catalyst and Superthrive at 4 drops per litre. I have done this with headmaster as well and it rocks!â&#x20AC;? Paul, Christchurch

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008

How does your garden compare? email high resolution digi pics to news@norml.org.nz or post a CD to NORML News, PO Box 3307 Auckland NZ. Deadline for bud of the year on the 2009 Calendar is by the end of September. www.NORML.org.nz

www.NORML.org.nz

Spr ing 2008 N O R M L N e W S

N O R M L N e W S Spring 2008