Norml News Summer 2008-9

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Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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N O R M L N e W S Summer 2008

www.normL.org.nz

Summer 2008

NORML NeWS Vol 12.1

P UB LI SHE D BY NORM L NZ INC .

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editor & design: Chris Fowlie contributors: Harry Cording, Will de Cleene, Metiria Turei, Chris Fowlie, Jonathan Rennie, Pauly Paul, Abe Gray, James D and assorted rogues, rascals and recidivist recruits. Want to contribute?

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Contents

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page:

by PP

FEATURES Drug Foundation talks about pot by Will de Cleene Welcome to Dun-sterdam! by Abe Gray Auckland 420 doing it in public by Harry Cording Cannabis Culture banned by Chris Fowlie Driver Drug Testing by Harry Cording Amsterdam Chronic-cles by Pauly Paul

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Medicinal Cannabis Special Section: Govt to allow Sativex by Chris Fowlie Medicinal Cannabis news and research Top 6 Questions about Medicinal Cannabis Medicinal dosage and plant numbers

12 14 19 20

REGULARS How you can help end cannabis prohibition World News with Jonathan Rennie Legal briefs Property Seizure 2.0, by Chris Fowlie Safer cannabis use - NORML’s harm reduction advice NORML membership form Join our campaign!

Show your grow!

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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 thanks to: 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.

Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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Medical law will benefit us all

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ativex is to be approved for the treatment of a host of conditions, according to Medsafe papers obtained by Norml News.

The mouth spray is an extract of whole cannabis, grown under license in the UK. While Sativex will be an effective and long-overdue treatment for many patients, it should not be the only option.

Parliament’s Health Select Committee is considering a petition organised by NORML that seeks to allow patients who have the support of their doctors to be able to grow their own medicinal cannabis.

We’ve given the committee a lengthy written submission. If their report acknowledges the medical benefits of cannabis, as it should, that could pave the way toward wider parliamentary support for Green MP Metiria

Turei’s Bill - with your help.

I’ve heard a few pot smokers say they don’t care much about legalising medical use - it’s “all or nothing”. But we’ll all benefit from a compassionate law that allows safe access for ill people.

Even if you aren’t a medicinal user, allowing therapeutic use will help break down stereotypes around cannabis and cannabis users, and demonstrate that not all cannabis use is abuse - and can even be beneficial.

A new study from the US found medicinal laws helped “de-glamourise” cannabis and led to a reduction in teenage pot use. That’s a message we need to be taking to politicians, prohibitionists and other heartless people who would deny effective relief to those who need it. > p.12: “Govt to allow Sativex”

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ban on BZP-based party pills is destined for failure, just like the prohibitions on cannabis and alcohol before it. Party pills won’t go away - they’ll just be driven underground, and other substances will quickly fill the gap.

Party pills are used by around 400,000 Kiwis per year - and no one has died. Even the Government’s advisors, the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, said the risks were “moderate”, yet only the Greens and ACT

voted against the ban. Green MP and former Norml News editor Nandor Tanczos told parliament the effect of the ban would be to criminalise a wide range of New Zealanders and boost the illegal drug market.

Ultimately, the responsibility for problems relating to party pills lies with the Government, which failed to enforce regulations for an R18 age limit and advertising ban, and did not control the dosage, purity or where it is sold. > more: www.stanz.org.nz

Principles of Responsible

Sensible ideas for

Adults Only.

Set and Setting.

Cannabis consumption is for adults only. It is irresponsible to provide cannabis to children.

Many things and activities are suitable for young people, but others - including drugs absolutely are not.

The responsible cannabis user will carefully consider his/her mind-set and physical setting, and regulate use accordingly.

Stop arresting cannabis users: the Government should immediately declare a

Marijuana Use

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.

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Party Pill prohibition won’t work

N O R M L N e W S Summer 2008

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.

Sensible laws

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 changes in 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: all drugs, including cannabis, can be abused. Cannabis policies should discourage irresponsible use, including use by adolescents, but prevention efforts can only be effective where marijuana is viewed from a public health perspective, instead of a criminal justice perspective. www.normL.org.nz

NORTHERN LIGHTS BY PP.. PHOTO BY CHRIS

Heads up

AUCKLAND AFGHANI BY ROURKUS. PHOTO BY CHRIS

get

Here’s how you can help End cannabis prohibition!

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Make a donation.

This magazine costs about 50c per copy to produce. We could do with a much-needed boost to our finances! Post your contribution, or make a donation into our bank account: 12-3057-059466700. How about a regular automatic payment?

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Sign our Medical Marijuana Petition!

Download it from www. norml.org.nz/downloads.

Get your friends and family to sign. A TV3 poll showed 63% of New Zealanders want to legalise medicinal cannabis. Let’s show our politicians there are plenty of votes to be gained from supporting law reform.

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Medical users - share your experiences.

Contact us or your local media. Write to the health committee and your MP.

discuss your ideas www.normL.org.nz

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Everyone - write to or visit your MP! Letters to “any MP c/- Parliament Buildings, Wellington” are freepost. The email format is firstname.lastname@ parliament.govt.nz or go to norml.org.nz/emailMP. Visiting MP’s in person is even better.

Resist Prohibition.

Refuse to be searched.

Plead Not Guilty in court.

This places a greater strain on an already-stressed ‘justice’ system. The simple truth is police and courts couldn’t enforce prohibition if cannabis users didn’t plead guilty!

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Take part in the review of the Misuse of Drugs Act being undertaken by the Law Commission. See page 7.

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Write to newspapers & call talkback radio - a free way of promoting law reform to a diverse audience. Keep it short and simple. Linking cannabis law reform to ‘hot’ local issues in local media helps broaden opposition to cannabis prohibition.

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Distribute information: Contact us for leaflets or magazines to distribute round your town or local networks. Let us know if there is a suitable store in your town who could take our magazines.

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Check out www.

NORML.org.nz for cannabis law reform information and inspiration.

Become an online member.

Share ideas and meet new friends in the forums. Web programmer? Maybe you can help us make the site even better.

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Join NORML and get involved in local and national law reform activities. We need more committed ‘daktivists’ all over the country. Fill out and post us the membership application on page 37 now!

You’ll get a Norml News subscription - in a plain envelope of course - a free copy of Cannabis Culture magazine plus some stickers and an activist training pack.

Most importantly, you’ll be doing your bit to support the cause.

If you don’t want to be ‘seen’ supporting law reform, then please consider setting up an automatic anonymous donation to our back account, so that we can do the work that needs to be done. Thanks!

Freedom is

w w w. n o r m l . o r g . n z / f o r u m s Summer Summer 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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Drug Foundation says

“let’s talk about pot”

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he NZ Drug Foundation says too much time and energy has been spent on party pills, at the expense of a rational discussion on New Zealand’s third most popular recreational substance. It has launched “Let’s Talk About Pot”, calling on the public of New Zealand to focus on a subject most politicians would rather ignore, writes WILL DE CLEENE.

Talking Points: “Prohibition or Regulation?”

• Prohibition creates far more harm than the use of marijuana itself, and it simply doesn’t work. New Zealand has the world’s highest cannabis arrest rate, yet more people use cannabis now than ever before.

• Prohibition encourages use by glamourising pot and removing control over how and to whom it is sold. The hypocrisy of Prohibition undermines effective drug education.

• Prohibition creates a lucrative black market. It breeds violence and corruption and supports the growth of organised crime.

• Prohibition erodes respect for the police and the law, and diverts police away from real crimes that matter.

• Prohibition denies patients the benefits of medical marijuana.

• Prohibition tramples over everyone’s rights and freedoms.

• Drug policy should be based on evidence, not moral judgements. Let’s stop the arrests and allow adults to use, grow and buy their own.

• Legalising cannabis would not cause an increase in use, and will save more than $50 million per year.

• A strictly-enforced legal age of purchase would most effectively limit juvenile access to cannabis.

• Sales taxes could fund more effective drug education, more research and better treatment for those who need it.

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Executive Director of the NZ Drug Foundation, Ross Bell, says “while politicians ignore the pot problem, its associated social harms continue. We need Government to take the lead in formulating good, wellresearched policy discussion based on best evidence. We need the addiction treatment, public health and drug policy sectors to get vocal and inject their knowledge into the debate as well.

“Misinformation and hysteria don’t help a society deal effectively with cannabis use, and stigmas around use and fear of prosecution often prohibit cannabis-dependent people from seeking much needed help.”

The Drug Foundation echoes what NORML has been saying since its inception in 1980.

The Misuse of Drugs Act is a failure. In spite over half the country having tried cannabis, one eighth of kiwis giving it a go in the previous year alone, the parliamentarians remain stone deaf.

Support for the conversation on cannabis has come from the Alcohol and Drug Association, who agreed it was time the debate was relaunched.

Professor David Fergusson, head of the University of Otago’s Christchurch Health and Development Study, said the debate had been politically thwarted. New Zealand needed to develop a “grey position of tolerance”.

Cannabis sale, supply or purchase should remain criminalised, he said, but the possession of cannabis by responsible recreational users should be legal. Cannabis was imbedded in New Zealand society: “Now New Zealand

Has support for law reform really dropped?

Media reports of a slump in support for cannabis law reform may not be true. The new poll conducted by UMR for the NZ Drug Foundation asked a different question to previous polls, so it’s no surprise it got a different result. gives us the illusion of being The new poll asked should tough on drugs, but behind the cannabis laws be made charade, drugs are available to “tougher” or “more liberal”. whoever wants them.

It found only 19% support for NORML believes the toughest liberal laws, compared to 46% support for tougher laws. A UMR approach would be legalising and regulating cannabis sales to poll from 2000 had found 60% adults. With a strictly enforced supported decriminalisation age limit, minors would find or legalisation. But “tougher” it much tougher to purchase and “more liberal” are loaded cannabis. Under the current law terms that mean different they can go to a tinnie shop and things to different people - especially in the context of the purchase cannabis (or other drugs) at any age. current debate around P labs And don’t forget, a poll by TV3 and drugged driving. Tougher in November 2006 showed 63% laws could mean, for example, support for “legalising cannabis executing drug users like they for pain relief”. do in China. Prohibition merely has to learn to live with it.”

The latest Drug Foundation magazine, Matters of Substance, devotes the majority of its content to the Let’s Talk About Pot theme.

Professor Wayne Hall from the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland discussed the policy challenges involved with reforming cannabis laws. NORML President Chris Fowlie explained how the current prohibition regime creates more harm than it prevents. Deputy Director at the National Drug Research Institute in Perth, Associate Professor Simon Lenton, compared different penalty regimes from around the world.

National Party Spin-Meister Matthew Hooten argued that although the political will to reform the cannabis market isn’t there in the short haul, sufficient leverage may become available in the next parliamentary term. There is also the rather tragic story of one guy who lost the plot on pot, not seeking professional help until years after he realised he had a problem.

The articles are also available on the Drug Foundation’s website (www. drugfoundation.org.nz/letstalk-about-pot). In the spirit of fostering open public debate on the matter, comments are encouraged. Log on and tell your story. www.normL.org.nz

PHOTOS BY CHRIS

Law Commission to review

Misuse of Drugs Act T

he Misuse of Drugs Act is to be reviewed by the Law Commission. It is the first time in over thirty years that the Act will be reviewed in its entirety, and the person in charge is former Bill of Rights Act champion Sir Geoffrey Palmer.

The Law Commission is an independent crown entity charged with rationalising and reviewing New Zealand law. It has been in the news recently for severely criticising the police’s search and surveillance powers.

The Commission recently released its work schedule for 2008, and by Sir Geoffrey’s admission, the Misuse of Drugs Act review is the second largest project planned for the next year, behind the Reform of Criminal Procedure.

The Misuse of Drugs Act was recently described by the

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director of the University of Otago’s National Addiction Centre, Professor Doug Sellman, as “an un-evidence-based mess.”

Prof Sellman is a member of the government’s Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, the statutory body charged with providing evidencebased substance classification.

Following the recent unevidence-based recommendation from the EACD to ban BZP, committee members recently put alcohol through the criteria to see where it would be if it was classified. Based on the level of harm if causes, they

decided Class B1 was most appropriate - the same as ecstasy, hash and amphetamines.

The Misuse of Drugs Act rewrite was originally announced by the Associate Minister of Health, Hon Jim Anderton, on the same day as the BZP ban.

The timing implies Anderton expects the review to provide a framework for the classification of new recreational substances (although tobacco and alcohol are explicitly excluded from this review).

But Palmer is not known for doing things by halves. At the

moment, the Law Commission is calling for public submissions on the admissibility of previous convictions in court trials, and are still scoping the terms of reference for the Misuse of Drugs Act review.

NORML News was told they will “almost certainly” seek submissions from interested parties and groups. We’ll keep you posted on that - or keep an eye on their website: www.lawcom.govt.nz

Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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LOCAL

Welcome to Dun-sterdam!

BY ABE GRAY

D

In the middle of the year had to fight off the new University security squad, Campus Watch. We simply held our ground and refused to be moved, and they left us alone because they knew the cops wouldn’t care.

It was written up in ‘the Critic’ student newspaper as well as the front page of the Otago Daily Times, which quoted the head of the Dunedin Police, Dave Campbell, saying ‘It would be quite a logistical exercise to arrest 50-60 cannabis smokers, and to be honest, I think there are a lot of people in this town that would think that we had better things to do’.

We even appeared on TV One’s Close Up program, and were portrayed in a very favourable light. The reaction from the community that followed really showed that the tide is turning. We may be entering a political climate in which we can proceed with cannabis law reform, at least in Dunedin.

This was particularly evident in the candidates who were standing around the country for the local body elections.

It seems being green has finally become popular, with many candidates talking about environmental and social sustainability. In Dunedin, those who believed that the best way to ensure Dunedin’s future was with massive spending projects and subsidies to big business were clearly in the minority this time around, with most candidates preferring to advocate for economic growth based on sustainability. The general consensus seemed to be that we need to attract creative young people to the city so that they may start business based on creativity, and not resource exploitation.

We also need to grow the tourism industry, but without impacting on the environment.

Sounds like a pretty daunting task, but what ideas did the candidates put forward for

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achieving this? A new stadium isn’t going to do it. We have a fashion show, which is great, but we need more than that. We need something really audacious that will make us stand out from the crowd. Something, in the words of many candidates, that will ‘put Dunedin on the map’.

Another city that has faced the challenge of economic stagnation and population decline is Invercargill. They are growing again, but how? Well, they have heaps of money from their Liquor Licensing Trust.

We can’t do that in Dunedin because for some strange reason we feel like we owe our entire existence as a city to the liquor merchants who openly parasitise us, and we even clean up after them.

And don’t forget, Invercargill has an entertaining and charismatic mayor who openly admits to having smoked massive amounts of cannabis.

This brings me to an idea I had when thinking about creative ways to achieve the collective goal of revitalising the city: completely legalise cannabis within the Dunedin city boundary! What better way to simultaneously attract creative young people and boost tourist numbers without pouring money down the drain on some ‘think big’ style vanity project?

‘But what about the central government?’ you say, ‘Isn’t it really up to them?’ Well, in the past ten years we’ve had two select committees investigating cannabis - one under a National government and one under a Labour government. Both of them recommended changing the cannabis laws!

They haven’t done so because they prefer to play the prejudice against ‘drug users’ for political expediency. I think it’s time to show some kiwi ingenuity - and remember, ‘if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself’!

So next year, leading up to JDay, we will be presenting Cannabis Awareness Week, during which we will host the First Annual Otago Cannabis Cup, to showcase students enjoying cannabis in a responsible manner and appreciating it for its quality and subtle flavours. We are also extending the 4:20 sessions to twice weekly, on Wednesday as well as Friday. We would like to invite every cannabis smoker in Dunedin to come to our regular event where you will be safe and not have to fear arrest or persecution. We are also beginning a wider community outreach program to spread the message of cannabis law reform, with a weekly radio show on Radio One (91FM Dunedin) every Friday at 9:30pm, and streamed live over the internet at www.r1.co.nz. In addition we also have a website at www.otagonorml.com, a presence on myspace (www.myspace. com/otagonorml), and anyone can e-mail us at dunedin@norml.org.nz if they have any questions or comments.

The next step is to lobby the city council to officially sanction our events, and get them to request that police treat cannabis possession as the lowest enforcement priority within the city boundary.

Look at the Dutch, who have had legal cannabis for decades and their society isn’t crumbling. They have high education, low poverty and low crime, something New Zealand hopefully aspires to. Amsterdam is a great city to visit. It’s clean, they have great public transport, and hundreds of thousands of creative young people from all over the globe flock there as tourists to sample the finest greens. After all, the European name for our country comes from Holland, so let’s embrace our Dutch history and get this party started!

Pictures: the plant left at the police station; Dunedin J Day; hotboxers at the ready.

More: www.otagonorml.com; www.myspace. com/otagonorml; www.r1.co.nz or email dunedin@norml.org.nz www.normL.org.nz

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: OTAGONORML.COM OPPOSITE: CHRIS

own in Dunedin we have been taking matters in to our own hands. On the heels of our successful hot-boxing of the Dunedin Central Police station two J Days in a row, we’ve established a weekly mini-J Day on the Otago University campus, Friday 4:20, which as you can imagine is held on Fridays at 4:20pm, on the Union Lawn. This weekly event has become a safe zone, where cannabis smokers know they can come and smoke in peace, safe from persecution and arrest, in a fun, social atmosphere.

Auckland 4:20

by Harry Cording

I

n late 2005 a small group of Auckland activists started meeting in Albert Park at 4.20 on Friday afternoons. Two years on, the weekly 4.20 Sessions have become the city’s focal point for cannabis activism.

It is a liberating experience to smoke herb in public, in the company of fellow herbalists who are not afraid to stand up for their rights. Especially as the area is under CCTV surveillance, along with occasional appearances by police. It shows there is strength in numbers - there are simply too many tokers to arrest.

However, there has been some police harassment specifically targeting Ken Morgan - roaring lion and convicted cannabis cultivator. In August three cops turned up and went straight for him. Apart from checking a few bags “for alcohol”, they did not seem interested in anyone else.

Ken was charged with breach

www.normL.org.nz

“doing it in

of bail, possession for supply (indictably), selling cannabis, possession, possession of pipe, possession of seeds and smoking cannabis. He was remanded in custody till the following Monday.

They put tight cuffs on him when he was arrested him and the marks on his wrists were visible the following afternoon. To top it off, he was strip searched.

After being bailed, Ken was raided and arrested again the following morning. Police told the court he had been convicted 22 times while on bail, when in fact he has no convictions while on bail. The allegations were disproved and he was bailed that afternoon - then raided yet again the next morning. Along the way his phone, camera and laptop were confiscated.

None of this has discouraged our group of dedicated freedom fighters. Thanks to the cops, the 4:20 Sessions have changed from being largely a social occasion to a staunchly political event, that

often culminates in a march down to Queen Street, with signs held high saying “Know Your Rights”, “I Do Not Consent to a Search”, and “End The Drug War”.

To mark the second anniversary of the 4.20 Sessions on Friday November 2, a lovely cannabis plant was ceremonially planted.

It lasted about five minutes before two cops arrived to take the plant away. People kept openly toking while the cops were there, and no arrests were made - right on!

To give credit where it is due, the two officers were not interested in hassling anyone.

The Cannabus is back on the road and appearing at the 4.20 Sessions. It looks great and is impossible to ignore! > Every Friday at the Victoria St East entrance to Albert Park, up from The Hempstore. > Redeye Productions have been filming the 4.20 events. You can see the evidence on youtube.com and sealion. co.nz

Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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nz news

Cannabis Culture Banned!

Latest drug stats:

Pot use drops

But more people are growing After a four year delay, the latest drug use statistics were released to the public in August.

Media reports claimed cannabis use had declined.

Compared with the earlier surveys, the 2003 survey includes a wider range of ages. In 2001, 52% of those aged 15-45 had tried cannabis. In the 2003 survey, 44% of those aged 13 to 65 had tried it. The wider age bracket has skewed the figure downwards, although the comparable age groups do show a slight drop.

This could be a result of a general hardening of attitude against drugs, rather than a drop in use. The survey was conducted by telephone, and only two-thirds of those rung decided to do the survey. Some of those who participated may have underestimated their consumption for very good legal reasons. What would you say if you were called at home and asked about your drug use?

The survey indicated more people were growing, however.

11% of regular users, compared to 9% in 2001.

ustoms have finally succeeded in having an issue of Cannabis Culture magazine banned. The May/June 2007 issue, imported from Canada and distributed by The Hempstore, was sent to the Office of Film and Literature Classification. In a decision released in late October, the Office ruled the magazine “objectionable”, meaning it cannot be sold or read in New Zealand.

Rulings on three previous issues ... The magazine’s focus on had said the magazine could be “profiling and promoting the sold as long as it was wrapped marijuana industry” includes an and restricted to those aged over extensive and prominent feature 18. These rulings were based in on converting cannabis trim to part on a 1998 ruling on High bubblehash ... It is this feature, Times magazine, which had said in particular, that influences the that the grow section was a small dominant effect of the issue under part of the magazine as a whole, review. When encouragement to and even though it encouraged break the law is the dominant “criminal activity” it was not effect, readers are less likely the “dominant effect” of the to interpret the magazine’s publication as a whole. support for currently criminal The Hempstore noted no behaviour as advocacy of law complaints had been received reform and may be attracted to by any members of the public experimentation with criminal and said it is “the test of a free activities. In this context the society that controversial topics availability of the publication can be openly debated without is likely to be injurious to the the suppression of information public good.” from one side.” A ban would While other issues of Cannabis represent a “gross intrusion into Culture and Norml News are not the rights guaranteed by the Bill directly affected by the ruling, it of Rights Act”. sets a bad precedent and Customs The censors did not agree, may decide to send all future largely because they said this issues to the censors as they issue - which included interviews arrive. The latest issue of CC with Stephen Marley and Tommy mag that is about to hit our shores Chong, art glass photography, features an article on “New pot puzzles, and international Zealand’s Irie Activists”. That’s cannabis law reform news - also sure to go down a treat with the featured an article about making fun police. bubble hash.

More info: www.cannabisculThey said the magazine ture.com; www.pot-tv.net; www. “promotes criminal actions censorship.govt.nz to a greater extent and degree than issues previously classified

Electoral Finance Bill an assault on democracy N ORML told Parliament’s Justice and Electoral Reform Committee the Electoral Finance Bill is “anti-democratic, draconian and corrupt” and strongly recommended the Bill be withdrawn.

“While not everyone agrees with what NORML stands for, it is the mark of a liberal democracy that we have the right to hold opinions and to freely express ourselves. Yet the Bill’s definition of electoral advertising is so broad that it will encompass almost everything we do,” said the submission.

Electoral advertising will include encouraging votes for or against a type of party or candidate, or “taking a position on a proposition with which 1 or more parties or 1

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or more candidates is associated”. Any such campaigning is restricted to a paltry $60,000 covering every third year - about what we already spend printing Norml News.

While NORML does not oppose there being some limits on third party campaigning, this Bill goes too far. In order to promote sensible drug laws, it is crucial for us to support parties and candidates who share our goal, or campaign against those who do not. We can only see this as wanting to shut down criticism of the Government in an election year. While the Government will be free to promote it’s policies and achievements throughout election year - at the taxpayer’s expense - criticism of this by opposition parties and groups such as

NORML, Amnesty and Greenpeace will be greatly constrained. What’s more, those who do want to interfere in elections will just call in the lawyers to form dozens of organisations that can each spend up to the limit.

The bill also treats anonymous donations to political parties preferentially to third party donations. While political parties enjoy a $10,000 limit, third parties can have just $500.

But because of the very law we are trying to change, many people have good reason to remain anonymous.

Anyone who cares about freedom and democracy has good reason to be very concerned about this bill. www.normL.org.nz

PHOTO: CHRIS

C

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MEDiCiNAL CANNABiS Should patients have Sativex or grow their own?

Whatever you think, make sure you have your say. > Write to or visit your MP and tell them to support the Medicinal Cannabis bill. Email any MP at www.norml.org. nz/emailMP > Write to the Health Select Committee and tell them you support NORML’s medical marijuana petition. > Get involved in the debate, raise your voice about this issue > Medical users: contact us for advice or to help with our campaign. Talk to your MP!

> Summary of medical uses: Modern research suggests that cannabis and its derivatives are valuable aids in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications 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. for the latest medical marijuana research go to

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Govt to allow Sativex

admission cannabis is an legitimate medicine

F

ormer Minister of Health Pete Hodgson ordered officials to pave the way for New Zealand doctors to prescribe the cannabis extract Sativex.

Sativex is an extract of whole cannabis from the UK that is sprayed into the mouth and quickly absorbed by the mucus membranes, allowing immediate relief and easy dosage - without the smoke.

A draft application form for doctors obtained by Norml News says Sativex will be approved under s8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and s109 and s29 of the Medicines Act for “nausea, anorexia and wasting (cachexia) associated to cancer and AIDS, or chronic pain (including cancer pain) for which other pain relief treatments are ineffective, or have significant/severe adverse side-effects; or neuropathic pain (associated with conditions including multiple-sclerosis, stroke, cancer, spinal cord injury, severe physical trauma and peripheral neuropathy resulting from diabetes) or muscle spasm and spasticity associated with MS or spinal cord injury.”

The application form says Sativex is “a desirable and divertible pharmaceutical due to the inherent nature of its active substances” and highlights that “prescribers should consider they are initially prescribing this medication on a trial basis.”

Officials are already considering the first application from a doctor.

The move seems intended to sink or stall the Green’s Medicinal Cannabis bill. By allowing Sativex, MPs could ignore pleas from patients to be allowed to grow their own. But it’s also a long-overdue admission by the Government that cannabis is an effective medicine - and that could pave the

More info: www.medsafe.govt. nz; www.gw-pharm.com

Study says smoked cannabis more effective

A

new study has shown what patients have said all along: smoked cannabis is more effective than pills containing synthetic THC.

Researchers at Columbia University in New York said “Smoked marijuana … has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive [patients] by increasing food intake and improving mood and objective and subjective sleep measures.”

In a first for HIV/AIDS clinical research, scientists www.cannabis-med.org not only compared the efficacy of smoked

N O R M L N e W S Summer 2008

way for other medicinal cannabis products or allowing home cultivation.

However, while we commend the Government for doing something, legislation that allows only for Sativex would be ineffective. Herbal cannabis is easy and cheap to grow, whereas Sativex is thought to cost around $300 per week.

Patients will continue to grow their own if that is the cheapest and most accessible option. Several clinical trials have also shown natural cannabis is more effective than single extracts or synthetic alternatives such as Marinol. The advantages include: > Natural cannabis contains about 60 unique compounds. Patients prefer different strains for different symptoms, due to the unique combinations of active ingredients; > Inhalation means more accurate dose titration and faster relief. > Vapourisers are an effective method of smokeless cannabinoid delivery; > Synthetic THC can be more psychoactive and take up to 3 hours to reach full effect; > Sativex and Marinol are more expensive than natural cannabis; > Some patients have experienced adverse reactions to Sativex such as burns in the mouth due to extract’s alcohol base. > Sativex is approved in Canada only for neuropathic pain due to MS and cancer pain.

There are sufficient anecdotal reports and clinical trials to indicate natural cannabis is effective for a much wider array of conditions; > Ultimately, patients prefer natural cannabis to extracts or synthetic alternatives.

cannabis to a placebo lacking THC, they also tested it against Marinol, synthetic THC that is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat HIV/AIDS-related weight and appetite loss.

Patients needed to take “eight times” the recommended daily dose of Marinol to equal the same therapeutic relief they achieved by smoking some low-strength cannabis.

The government-grown pot contained only 2 percent or 3.9 percent THC, yet a few tokes were as effective as a super-dose of the synthetic pot pill - which costs nearly US$1,000 per month!

Patients also made far fewer requests for over-the-counter ‘rescue’ medications while using cannabis.

Source: Haney et al, J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2007 Jun 21 www.normL.org.nz

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PHOTO: CHRIS

%

OF KIWIS SAY YES TO LEGALISING CANNABIS FOR PAIN RELIEF TV3/TNZ NOV. 06

Let your MP know your views:

www.norml.org.nz/emailMP

Why Home Grown Medicinal Cannabis?

by Metiria Turei, GREEN MP

O

ur medicinal cannabis bill has come under some criticism because it proposes that patients registered as medicinal users should be able to grow cannabis for their own medical use. This part of the bill is used by those who argue that the bill is simply a mechanism for recreational users to access cannabis.

What they fail to acknowledge is that cannabis is extremely expensive to purchase in any form, whether for recreational purposes or more importantly, for medicinal purposes.

While great emphasis is put on the pharmaceutical options I understand that Sativex could cost at least $300 per week for a low level use. Unsubsidised this is a completely prohibitive cost that 90% of medical users simply could not entertain.

Many patients have chronic illnesses that have left them dependent on the sickness benefit or only able to work part time or sporadically.

Many have very expensive additional medical needs such as specialist equipment, other medications, transport to medical services or home alterations. Some of these costs are covered by the Ministry of Health but certainly not all of them.

And in any event, such a person on a very low income would struggle for the basics regardless.

The other important reason for a grow your own model is www.normL.org.nz

that the international research shows that it is the extracts from the whole plant that have the highest level of effectiveness for pain and symptom relief. All other forms of pharmaceuticals that isolate compounds for specific or targeted use have been found to be either ineffective or cause wildly fluctuating side effects that render it unuseable. There is simply no point in that.

Our inclusion of a grow your own model in the bill

is a mechanism to enable patients to access their preferred therapy that is truly effective. With the other safeguards in the bill, particularly registration with the police and the Ministry of Health, most of the other risks that arise out of a grow your own model can be mitigated.

But there is simply no point allowing for legal use of the therapy if we cannot also make sure that it is accessible to all those who so desperately need it.

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 would cover any condition “where the use of cannabis may alleviate the pain and suffering associated with that condition or the treatment of that condition”. Patients would register with the Ministry of Health and be able to use and grow their own medicinal cannabis.

If they are unable to grow their own, they could nominate a friend or caregiver to do it for them. Seeds would be supplied by the Police from confiscated stocks.

Doctor’s Survey 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.

for more see www.norml.org.nz/medical or information greens.org.nz/campaigns/cannabis Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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Medical laws “deglamorise” cannabis Researchers at Texas A&M Health Science Center analysed statistical data from cities in California, Colorado, Washington State and Oregon, which have legalised medicinal cannabis. They found there was no influence of medical cannabis laws on the extent of illegal cannabis use.

The scientists concluded that the “use of the drug by those already sick might ‘de-glamorise’ it and thereby do little to encourage use among others.”

Source: Gorman DM, et al. Int J Drug Policy 2007;18(3):160-7.

Sativex an effective longterm treatment for MS neuropathic pain A new study has shown that Sativex, an extract from whole cannabis made by UK firm GW Pharmaceuticals, provides effective long term treatment of central neuropathic pain in Multiple Sclerosis, and that these benefits are obtained without any evidence of tolerance (an escalation of dose required to reach the same effect).

Average doses remained stable over a twoyear period, showing that tolerance to the medicine did not occur.

Source: The Journal of Clinical Therapeutics

This may explain why...

A new study has found the body’s cannabinoid system is dysregulated in multiple sclerosis patients. The concentration of anandamide was increased in the cerebrospinal fluid and lymphocytes in MS patients. This was were associated with an increased synthesis and reduced degradation of anandamide, which may be an attempt by the body to counteract the disease - and may explain why patients often find relief using cannabis.

Source: Centonze D, et al. Brain 2007 Jul 11

Cancer-busting power!

Patients suffer in War on Drugs C

ANNABIS prohibition applies to everyone, including the sick and dying. Of all the negative consequences of prohibition, perhaps none is as terrible as the denial of effective relief to seriously ill people. While we can’t be certain how many patients are already breaking the law, modern research suggests cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications, including: > AIDS and HIV: 2474 New Zealanders from 1985 to 2005. > Alzheimer’s: 17,000 to 21,000 NZers. > Arthritis: one in six people over 15. > Asthma: one in four NZ children and one in six adults > Cancer affects 1 in 3 New Zealanders. > Epilepsy: One in fifty people. > Fibromyalgia: affects 0.5–5% of the population (increases with age). > Glaucoma: about 2 % of people over the age of 40, including 10% over the age of 70. > Multiple Sclerosis: approximately 4000 New Zealanders diagnosed with MS. > Osteoporosis: over 30% of NZ women aged over 50. > Parkinson’s: affects about one in 500 people; about 1% of people over 60. > Stroke: about 32,000 New Zealanders have suffered a stroke.

Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders are effected by these conditions, and conventional medicines are not effective for all patients. People suffering from any of these conditions, for whom the conventional medical options have proven unsafe or ineffective, have two options: either continue suffering without effective treatment, or illegally obtain cannabis. The medicinal cannabis user should not be considered a criminal.

Many very ill people have had to fight long court battles to defend themselves for the use of a medicine that has helped them. Most are convicted and some have been imprisoned.

This situation desperately needs to change.

N O R M L N e W S Summer 2008

Golden Bay med-pot patient died in prison

F

amily and friends of medicinal cannabis user Ivan Cleary never thought he would go to jail for growing 12 cannabis plants, and certainly didn’t think he’d be dead within days of getting there.

Ivan was sentenced to a year inside by Judge Tony Zohrab at the Nelson district Court. He spent much of the next week in prison vans and other cramped conditions, and developed an embolism in his leg.

A former inmate said Cleary’s persistent pleas for treatment fell on deaf ears. He died in prison on 11 June, officially of ‘natural causes’ due to a blood clot in the lungs.

The 49-year-old had told the court during his trial he grew cannabis to relieve the pain from several chronic conditions.

Canada, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and thirteen US States already allow the medicinal use of cannabis. Under New Zealand law, the decision is made not by doctors but the Minister of Health, under advisement from the Police and Customs Service. Every patient who has had the courage to apply has been refused. The current approach is futile, onerous, politicised, and does not provide any actual assistance to patients.

Prohibition increases harm to patients

T

he risks and harms to those who find relief through medicinal cannabis, are In experimental studies increased magnified by treating them as criminals: endocannabinoid levels reduced the > unsafe and hazardous supply, including development of pre-cancerous growth in contamination with fungus, mould or the mouse intestine. This effect was also chemicals; achieved by the synthetic cannabinoid > uncertainty of supply - cannabis can HU-210. be hard to find, or a bust means their medication is lost; Source: Izzo AA et al. J Mol Med. 2007 Sep 6 > prohibition-related violence and theft, such as home invasions; for the latest www.cannabis-med.org > increased anxiety due to criminal medical marijuana research go to status and fear of arrest; > increased financial costs from buying

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SATIN-A, WEST AUCKS.

Latest research

medicine at illicit market prices; > significant risk of arrest, conviction and imprisonment; > being treated more harshly by the courts due to persistent growing; > being presumed a dealer for growing or possessing more than one ounce - even property seizure is possible.

Despite these risks a large number of patients choose to self-medicate with cannabis, for the simple reason that it is the most effective treatment for their condition.

The question is, should patients be jailed for doing it? www.normL.org.nz

Latest research

German Govt issues exemptions for medical cannabis use

Heart protection

extracts will be supplied by pharmacies chosen by patients

G

ermany has begun issuing certificates of exemption for the medical use of cannabis extracts.

The Federal Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products (FPMP - part of the Health Ministry) suggested to patients they use a cannabis extract which would be made and supplied by a pharmacy of their choice.

A 51-year-old MS patient who had applied for a certificate of exemption to import cannabis from the Netherlands was the first to accept the offer. She received a standardised cannabis extract on 13 September. The extract was made by the German company THC Pharm from cannabis supplied by the Dutch company Bedrocan (one of three varieties available to Dutch patients). While the first sample was free, the future price of the cannabis extract is unknown.

Several other patients who had also applied for exemptions to import cannabis from the Netherlands or to grow their own are taking legal proceedings against the FPMP. The Federal Administrative Court on 19 May 2005 ruled that the FPMP cannot just dismiss all applications by patients, and said cultivation for personal use should be considered. However, the FPMP said they still would not approve either cultivation or importing cannabis from the Netherlands. Yet they’re allowing the same cannabis to be imported by a pharmacy and turned into an extract.

On 9 July, a patient with Crohn’s disease, whose application had been dismissed by the FPMP, was remanded for the import of cannabis. On 16 August a patient with hepatitis C was sentenced to one year in prison without probation for possession of cannabis. His application to the FPMP was also dismissed earlier this year. “It is shameful that a civilized country does not find options for these patients other than treating them as criminals and throwing them in jail,” said Dr. Franjo Grotenhermen, Chairman of the German Association for Cannabis as Medicine.

Source: Association for Cannabis as Medicine

TE KAKARIKI

PHOTOS BY CHRIS

TE KAKARIKI www.normL.org.nz

edicinal cannabis patients in The Netherlands are advised by the Office of Medicinal Cannabis to prepare cannabis tea as follows: “add 1.0 g of cannabis to 1.0 L of boiling water and let simmer for 15 min. Filter out solid parts by using a common teasieve. Tea can be consumed immediately, or stored in a closed bottle in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.”

Researchers at the University of Leiden decided to investigate the cannabinoid composition of this tea. In the plant THC is mainly present as THC-acid and is converted into psychoactive THC upon heating (eg, baking or smoking). But with only

Sources: Durst R, et al. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007 Sep 21; Lepicier P, et al.

Life Sci, 24 Sep 2007

No failure to thrive Israeli researchers have found that endocannabinoid and/or CB1 receptor insufficiency underlies infant failureto-thrive in mice. They concluded that cannabinoid-based treatment should be considered to improve food intake and weight gain in infants with failure-to-thrive or with growth failure.

Source: presetation to the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine, Cologne, 5-6 October 2007.

Cannabis tea gets only a small proportion of T-H-C

M

Two new studies have found that cannabinoids protect the heart. Researchers at Hebrew University in Jerusalem found cannabidiol (CBD) protected the heart against damage from reduced blood supply. A heart artery was ligated in rats for 30 minutes. In animals treated for 7 days with CBD infarct size was reduced by 66 per cent compared to non-treated rats. In another study it was observed CB1receptors are present mainly on endothelial cells in the heart, and exert their protective effects through production of nitric oxide.

In contrast, CB2-receptors also present on heart cells exert a protective effect that is independent of this endothelial factor.

a relatively low temperature of 100 degrees Celsius, most THC-acid in the tea was not transformed into THC. Only about 5 per cent of the overall THC was available.

The THC concentration rapidly declined during storage, which the authors said could be largely prevented by the addition of coffee creamer powder.

NORML News notes the conversion of THC-acid to THC could be achieved by baking or grilling cannabis before making it into a tea.

Source: Hazekamp A, et al.

A systematic evaluation of the cannabinoid composition of cannabis tea. J Ethnopharmacol

Schizophrenia and cognition A new study may explain why many people with schizophrenia are drawn to pot. Australian researchers investigated the relationship between neuropsychological performance and cannabis use in 60 people with schizophrenia, of whom 44 were current or former cannabis users, and 17 healthy subjects. Within the schizophrenia group, a larger proportion of participants with current or former cannabis abuse/dependence demonstrated better performance than those without abuse/dependence on a component of psychomotor speed. Frequency of cannabis use was also positively associated with better neuropsychological performance.

Researchers concluded that “cannabis use is associated with enhanced cognitive functioning in schizophrenia.”

Source: Coulston CM et al. Schizophr Res. 2007 Sep 6

for the latest medical marijuana research go to

www.cannabis-med.org

Summer Summer 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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Latest research

harm

Cannabis ingredient may prevent mad cow disease An ingredient in cannabis may prevent the development of prion diseases such as “mad cow disease” or BSE (bovine spongiforme enzephalopathy). Scientists at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France said the non-psychoactive cannabis ingredient cannabidiol (CBD) inhibited the accumulation of prion proteins in infected cells. After infection with scrapie, a prion disease, CBD limited accumulation of the prion protein in the brain and significantly increased the survival time of infected mice.

Source: Dirikoc et al, J Neurosci 2007;27(36):9537-44.

Helps Huntington’s disease In animal studies cannabidiol (CBD) also provided neuroprotection against damage of a brain region called the striatum. Researchers concluded this may be relevant for Huntington’s disease, a disorder characterized by the loss of nerve cells of the striatum.

Source: Sagredo O, et al. Eur J Neurosci, 2 August 2007

Pot for Parkinson’s Scientists of the University of Texas showed that a synthetic cannabinoid that activated the CB1 receptor was able to reduce dyskinetic movements in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Dyskinesia is a frequent side effect of medicinal drugs used in the treatment of the disease.

Vapourisers for smokeless inhalation

BY JONATHAN RENNIE

I

nhalation of cannabis provides optimal dose delivery due to its rapid action and easy titration. However this usually requires smoking, which raises separate health issues. This can be overcome by the use of vapourisers, which allow lung delivery without smoking. Moreover, it should be noted that especially for those suffering from terminal illnesses, the cumulative damage caused by smoking is of minor concern.

It would seem pernicious to deprive them of relief in deference to anti-smoking sentiment.

Smoking & Lung Cancer

Because cannabis smoke contains similar carcinogens to tobacco smoke, it has Source: Morgese MG, et al. Exp Neurol long been suggested that 2007 Aug 22 the cannabis smokers would begin to suffer from increased Out with Osteoporosis lung cancer incidents.

Many elderly people suffer from However a substantial osteoporosis or arthritis and find relief recent epidemiological study using medicinal cannabis. Now the has failed to support this synthetic cannabinoid ajulemic acid was prediction. The 2005 study found in cell experiments to suppress of over 2,000 people found the development of osteoclasts, and also no increase in lung cancer induced apoptosis (programmed cell risk for marijuana smokers. death) in mature osteoclasts. Researchers The research, presented to concluded ajulemic acid may be a “useful the May 2006 meeting of the therapy for diseases such as RA [rheumatoid American Thoracic Society arthritis] and osteoporosis in which bone in San Diego, was lead by resorption is a central feature.” pulmonary scientist Donald Source: George KL, et al. J Cell Physiol.

Tashkin of the University of 2007 Sep 4 California, Los Angeles, who had previously conducted for the latest www.cannabis-med.org research that predicted a medical marijuana research go to carcinogenic effect from cannabis smoking. But

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N O R M L N e W S Summer 2008

looking at residents of Los Angeles County, he found that even those who smoked more than 20,000 joints in their life did not have an increased risk of lung cancer.

After controlling for tobacco, alcohol and other drug use as well as matching patients and controls by age, gender and neighbourhood; marijuana smoking could not be linked to lung cancer. In fact, in some data groups, cannabisonly smokers fared better than non-smokers. Tashkin conceded that the results suggest cannabis smoking could even be protective against lung cancer and speculated that this may be due to the anti-tumoural actions of various cannabinoids.

Smokeless Delivery Although fears that cannabis smoking leads to lung cancer are probably unfounded, there are other respiratory problems associated with smoking which are clearly best avoided.

However, a safe and effective alternative form of inhalation exists. Vapourisation involves heating cannabis until the resins evaporate, but without burning the solid plant matter.

The cannabinoids are inhaled as a vapour, not smoke. Doses can be delivered through the lungs without the combustion of plant matter.

A recent study (Abrams et al, 2007) at the University of California examined the effectiveness of

vapourisers and found peak plasma concentrations and bioavailability of THC were similar to smoking. Unlike smoking, vaporisation did not increase the amount of carbon monoxide in the lungs. Researchers concluded vapourisation of cannabis is “a safe an effective mode of delivery of THC.” Another recent study, by Mitch Earlywine and Sara Barnwell at the University of New York, found vapouriser users were 60 per cent less likely than smokers to report respiratory symptoms such as coughing or phlegm. The report noted “the impact of a vaporizer was larger as the amount of cannabis used increased. These data suggest that the safety of cannabis can increase with the use of a vaporizer. Regular users of joints, blunts, pipes, and water pipes might decrease respiratory symptoms by switching to a vaporizer.”

V

apouriser technology is constantly improving, both in terms of effective dose delivery and ease of use. A number of models are available, with their popularity as a safer alternative to smoking steadily increasing among medicinal and recreational users alike. It would be a small step for the Ministry of Health to approve and supply a standard vapouriser model for prescribed medicinal marijuana use. www.normL.org.nz

AFGHANI BY ROURKUS. PHOTOS BOTH PAGES BY CHRIS

Marijuana users ain’t dopey

A

study of more than 5,000 teenagers in Switzerland found those who smoked marijuana do as well or better as those who don’t.

The study by the University of Lausannen did not find those who abstained from marijuana functioned better overall. Those who used only marijuana were “more socially driven ... significantly more likely to practice sports and they have a better relationship with their peers” than abstainers, the report said.

“Moreover, even though they are

www.normL.org.nz

more likely to skip class, they have the same level of good grades”.

The same could not be said of those who smoked both marijuana and tobacco, who tended to be heavier users, said the study. In addition, those who used only marijuana were less likely to have started using it before the age of 15 compared to tobacco users, and the tobaccomarijuana group was more likely to have also abused alcohol.

Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, November 2007

Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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www.normL.org.nz

Top 6 Questions about

Medicinal Cannabis

PHOTOS BY CHRIS. TOP: BB’S WESTIE SEEDLINGS

1:

Existing provisions are adequate. Why do we need this?

Existing provisions are not adequate. While the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Medicines Act both theoretically allow cannabis to be approved on a case-by-case basis, these provisions have proved to be too cumbersome, onerous and burdensome to be practical or useful. No application has ever been approved. However, it’s important to note that the existing provisions can remain and either approach could be used to satisfy the needs of patients and doctors.

Recent studies have shown a “protective” effect (due to the therapeutic action of cannabinoids) and found a lower rate of lung cancer among marijuana smokers than tobacco smokers or even non-smokers (Tashkin, 2006).

3:

But why should politicians decide which medicines are approved?

2:

Smoking a medicine isn’t good, is it?

For seriously ill or terminally ill people, smoking is usually the least of their concerns.

Furthermore, medicinal cannabis does not need to be smoked. In fact, smoke can be avoided entirely through the use of vapourisers, tinctures, and cannabis-based food or drinks. However, inhalation provides an instant onset and easily titrated dose, unlike swallowed pills which take up to 2 hours to have any effect, and are hard to keep down for someone suffering nausea.

It is also important to note that marijuana smoke is not the same as tobacco smoke. www.normL.org.nz

Latest research

4:

Doesn’t medicinal cannabis send the wrong message that we support recreational use?

It is unlikely that allowing exemptions for medical uses of cannabis will be seen as condoning the nonmedical use of cannabis.

In the US, survey evidence shows majority support for medical uses of cannabis, yet there is strong support for the continued prohibition of non-medical cannabis. In fact, allowing the medical use of cannabis sends a powerful message about the appropriate context of medicines and drug taking in general.

5:

Could allowing medicinal cannabis encourage more people to use cannabis?

Such concerns, though popular among opponents of cannabis law reform, are based on rhetoric – not fact.

The enactment of US state laws legalising the medical use of cannabis has not been associated with an increase in recreational use, according to data published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. Investigators concluded that the passage of medical cannabis laws may “de-glamorise” the drug’s use and “thereby [does] little to encourage [its] use among other” non-medical patients.

6:

Well, that’s our point.

The current law requires the Minister of Health to make a decision that will inevitably be seen as political. Let’s take the politics out of the equation, and allow doctors and patients to decide which treatment is best.

Effects of smoked cannabis on Acute and Chronic pain While the benefits of cannabis for relieving chronic, ongoing, pain are well documented, a new study from the University of California in San Diego has found the effect of smoked cannabis on acute pain was strongest at a moderate dose, while a low dose had little effect and high dose actually increased pain.

Subjects were given injections of capsaicin, the ingredient that gives chillies their fire. The healthy volunteers smoked either a placebo joint (with no THC) or joints with 2, 4 or 8 per cent THC. Five minutes later, there was no effect at any dose. By 45 min after cannabis exposure, however, there was a significant decrease in capsaicin-induced pain with the medium dose and a significant increase in capsaicininduced pain with the high dose. There was no effect seen with the low dose.

Several earlier studies had shown that pain-reducing effects were observed more in patients suffering from neuropathic pain with the best pain reduction following the highest doses. Experimental studies in animals had also shown that the endocannabinoid system reacts to chronic pain, which may be the reason for these differences between the effects in healthy persons and pain patients.

Two new studies explored this further.

Canadian researchers conducted a study comparing four potencies of herbal cannabis (0, 2.5, 6 and 9.5 per cent THC) in patients with chronic neuropathic pain due to trauma or surgery. Researchers concluded that smoking 25mg (one puff) of 9.5 per cent THC herbal cannabis three times daily for five days has a modest analgesic effect on chronic neuropathic pain and improves sleep. It was well-tolerated.

German researchers presented data on the effects of oral dronabinol (THC) in 124 patients with chronic pain. Mean pain intensity reduced during treatment with dronabinol. Researchers concluded that treatment of severely ill pain patients with dronabinol in advanced stages of chronicity proved to be highly effective and well tolerated.

What about the international drug control treaties?

International treaties do not prohibit the “medical and scientific” use of controlled drugs. The UN Single Convention on Drugs (1961) Source: Wallace et al, Anesthesiology states: “the medical use of 2007;107(5):785-796; available at www. narcotic drugs continues to anesthesiology.org; Abstracts by Ware et al be indispensable for the relief and Konrad et al presented to the IACM 4th of pain and suffering and that Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine adequate provision must be 5-6 October 2007 in Cologne. made to ensure the availability of narcotic drugs for such for the latest www.cannabis-med.org medical marijuana purposes”. research go to Summer Summer 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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MEDiCiNAL SATIN-A, WEST AUCKS

Dosage and plant numbers M

edicinal cannabis patients have widely varying needs: some need only a few specks of pot as their symptoms require, while others may need to medicate almost all the time, although individual dosages may change with time or severity of symptoms.

It is not unusual for patients using cannabis to consume far more than the average recreational user - particularly those with chronic pain or other severe ongoing symptoms.

It’s interesting to consider what the authorities have to say about how much medi-weed is appropriate. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a dosing guideline for synthetic THC (Marinol) of 30-90mg per day. Researchers applied these guidelines to herbal cannabis and calculated how much would need to be smoked in order to achieve the FDA’s recommended daily dosage. For average cannabis that is 10% THC, 1.8 grams per day would be required for a dose of 30mg THC, or 5.5 grams for a dose of 90mg THC. For cannabis that is very potent, such as 20% THC, 0.9 grams would be required to achieve a dose of 30mg THC, or 2.8 grams for a dose of 90mg THC. That adds up an estimated range of 339 to 2000 grams per year, which the researchers say is consistent with amounts reported in surveys of patients in California and Washington (Carter, et al, 2004).

The US Federal government’s Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug Program has supplied a handful of patients with federallygrown medical marijuana for almost 3 decades.

Patients have received 300 pre-rolled joints per month, every month, since entering the program. Those suffering from chronic pain receive 50% more than the others, or 450 joints per month. The joints each contain about 0.9 grams of marijuana. The US government has therefore established a medical marijuana dose range of between one half and three quarters of a pound per patient per month. (Russo et al, 2002)

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Plant numbers Setting plant limits based on arbitrary amounts risks denying effective treatment to those most in need, and/or criminalising those patients who happen to require more medication than others. If a limit must be set, it would be better to limit the growing area rather than the number of plants. This is because plant yield is more closely related to the available area than to plant numbers. Plants require light to grow and the available light (sunlight or indoor growing lamps) is a fixed quantity. Putting more plants into the same area will result in smaller plants, while the total yield will be about the same.

US State medical marijuana programs include various plant limits (available at www.norml. org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3391), several of which regulate growing areas rather than plant numbers: Alaska: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess up to an ounce of usable marijuana, and may grow up to six plants, of which no more than three may be mature.

California: Proposition 215 did not set any limits regarding the amount of marijuana patients may possess and/or cultivate. Senate Bill 420, which took effect on January 1, 2004, imposes statewide guidelines outlining how much medicinal marijuana patients may grow and possess. Under the guidelines, qualified patients and/or their caregivers may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana plants. However, SB420 allows patients to possess larger amounts of marijuana when it is recommended by a physician. The law also allows counties and municipalities to authorise patients to possess larger quantities of cannabis than allowed under the new state guidelines. For example, Humboldt County guidelines allow patients a 100 square feet garden and 3 lbs with no plant number limit. San Diego City Council guidelines allow up to 1lb of marijuana, and 24

plants in 64 square feet indoors.

Colorado: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess no more than two ounces of usable marijuana, and may cultivate no more than six marijuana plants.

Hawaii: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess up to one ounce of usable marijuana, and may cultivate up to seven plants, of which no more than three may be mature.

Maine: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess up to one and one-quarter ounces of usable marijuana, and may cultivate up to six plants, of which three may be mature.

Montana: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may possess no more than six marijuana plants.

Nevada: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess up to one ounce of usable marijuana, and may cultivate seven marijuana plants, of which three may be mature.

New Mexico: The law mandates the state to issue rules governing the use and distribution of medical cannabis to state-authorised patients, including defining the amount of cannabis that is necessary to constitute an “adequate supply” for qualified patients, and the creation of statelicensed “cannabis production facilities”.

Oregon: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess no more than six mature cannabis plants, 18 immature seedlings, and 24 ounces of usable cannabis.

Rhode Island: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and/or 12 plants, and their cannabis must be stored in an indoor facility.

Vermont: Patients (or their primary caregiver) may legally possess up to two ounces of usable marijuana, and may cultivate three plants, of which one may be mature.

Washington: Patients (or their primary caregivers) may possess or cultivate a 60-day supply of marijuana. www.normL.org.nz

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www.normL.org.nz

Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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LAWS

Govt plans for Driver Drug Testing: Reefer madness on the road?

BY HARRY CORDING. Additional reporting by Chris Fowlie

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he government wants to introduce a new offense of driving under the influence of illegal drugs. Is it necessary - or reefer madness in a fluoro vest? Does the government need something else to arrest us for? And with cannabis the most popular illegal drug, the question arises: is stoned driving dangerous?

The Land Transport Amendment Bill (No 4) passed its first reading in October. It creates a new offence of driving while impaired by drugs, and police will be able to order drivers to undergo roadside tests for impairment, such as balancing on one leg, or estimating when 30 seconds have elapsed. A driver who fails the test will have to provide a blood sample, and if an illegal drug is detected in the sample, an offence will have been committed.

Penalties will be the same as for drink driving. A person taking prescription medicine would have a defence under the new law, but not if they had disobeyed instructions.

At present police can prosecute a driver who is “incapable” of driving properly because of drugs, a much higher threshold than “impaired”.

Predictably, all parties in Parliament are supporting the measure. However, the Greens negotiated a very significant amendment which means evidence gathered under the new law can not be used to lay charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Another significant improvement from what was first proposed is that the Government has agreed to only test for THC, which is in the blood only while a person is high, and not the inactive metabolite THC-COOH, which can linger in the body for up to three months.

They will also set a level of THC that correlates with impairment from drunk driving, rather than a zero limit.

A new study by an international working group of drug-driving experts has concluded that “using a zero limit for legal determination of impairment by cannabis ... would classify inaccurately many drivers as driving under the influence of, and being impaired by, the use of cannabis.” The researchers said a THC level of 7-10ng/ml of blood would equate to the same level of impairment as a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. (The current New Zealand BAC legal limit is 0.08 although there is talk of reducing this to 0.05)

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While it’s well established that alcohol increases the risk of causing driving accidents, evidence of marijuana’s guilt is much less convincing. A lot of research has been done in recent years about the effects of cannabis on driving, including driving simulator studies, on-road performance studies, crash culpability studies, and reviews of existing evidence.

The results are fairly consistent: marijuana has a measurable yet relatively mild effect on psychomotor skills, and does not appear to play a significant role in vehicle crashes, particularly when compared to alcohol.

A 2002 review of studies involving 7934 drivers reported, “Crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes.”

Drivers who have smoked marijuana tend to be aware of their impairment and therefore drive more cautiously - the opposite of drivers affected by alcohol, who tend to take greater risks.

A single glass of wine - well under the legal limit - will impair your driving more than smoking a joint. And under certain conditions, the way alcohol and cannabis combine to affect driving behaviour suggests that someone who has taken both may drive less recklessly than a person who is only drunk.

These are the findings of a study by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory. Researchers gave 15 volunteers cannabis, alcohol or both before testing them on a driving simulator.

Cannabis significantly affected only tracking ability. Volunteers found it more difficult to hold a constant speed and follow the middle of the road accurately while driving around a figure 8 loop. Those who drank the equivalent of a glass of wine fared worse than those who smoked a joint. Those who were given both alcohol and cannabis performed worse still, reinforcing the idea that alcohol has a cumulative effect when taken with other drugs. But the study also found that drivers

on cannabis tended to be aware of their intoxicated state, and drove more cautiously to compensate. Drinking alcohol didn’t offset this caution, raising the possibility that drivers who are moderately drunk might be better off under some conditions if they had also smoked.

A 1997 examination of motor vehicle injuries by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (USA) concluded that alcohol is “the major drug associated with injury,” and found no evidence to support the accusation that illicit drugs are a major factor in accidents. An earlier analysis by the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration of 1882 drivers killed in vehicle accidents also determined that alcohol, not pot, was the “dominant problem” in drugrelated accidents.

Professor Jack Maclean, director of the road accident research unit at Adelaide University, said “It has been impossible to prove marijuana affects driving adversely. There is no doubt marijuana affects performance but it may be it affects it in a favourable way by reducing risk-taking.”

He said the lack of proof that marijuana was detrimental to driving was not due to lack of effort by researchers. “There are some quite distinguished researchers who are going through incredible contortions to try and prove that marijuana has to be a problem.”

He could have been talking about Professor David Fergusson of the Christchurch School of Medicine. In contrast to a large body of research conducted over many years, his latest report concluded that “the risks of driving under the influence of cannabis may be greater than the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol.”

The Prof seems trapped in a cycle of issuing sensationalist press releases every time a new funding round comes up. His conclusions are so heavily laced with caveats, howevers, maybes, qualifiers and equivocations as to render them practically meaningless - but they’re enough to generate a rash of alarmist www.normL.org.nz

Marijuana and Driving:

A Review of the Scientific Evidence The following documents provide an overview of the scientific evidence regarding marijuana’s impact on psychomotor skills and driving:

nonsense from politicians and the media.

Fergusson’s research was part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, which has tracked the lives of 1265 children born in the Christchurch region in 1977. The 936 drivers in the group reported greater rates of driving under the influence of cannabis than driving under the influence of alcohol.

The paper concluded that “driving under the influence of cannabis posed a greater risk to driver and vehicle safety than drink driving ... analysis of rates of self-reported motor vehicle collisions showed that driving under the influence of cannabis was marginally associated with increased risks of collision, whereas driving under the influence of alcohol was not.”

The report did not explain why alcohol was not associated with increased risks of collision. The reported rates of collisions were nearly the same, but cannabis was said to be a greater risk.

The report did acknowledge: “These conclusions are subject to caveats. First, the findings describe the conditions that applied to a specific cohort studied in a specific social context. The analysis has been based on self-report, and the true rates of driving under the influence and collisions may differ from the rates reported. Third, the collisions were largely minor, and for the most part did not involve injury. Finally, the results of the present study may be specific to that age group.”

Fergusson notes that “there is very little legal deterrent to driving under the influence of cannabis”. It’s a gap the prohibitionists are all too keen to fill, but the question remains: does the evidence justify a new law to target stoner drivers? We don’t think so. > NORML recommends not driving or operating machinery while impaired. See our Principles of Responsible Marijuana Use on p4, and safer use guide on p36. www.normL.org.nz

“In analogy to alcohol, finite (non-zero) per se limits for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in blood appear to be the most effective approach to separating drivers who are impaired by cannabis use from those who are no longer under the influence. Limited epidemiological studies indicate that serum concentrations of THC below 10 ng/ml are not associated with an elevated accident risk. A comparison of meta-analyses of experimental studies on the impairment of driving-relevant skills by alcohol or cannabis suggests that a THC concentration in the serum of 7–10 ng/ml is correlated with an impairment comparable to that caused by a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%.

Thus, a suitable numerical limit for THC in serum may fall in that range.”

Grotenhermen, F., et al, 2007. Developing limits for driving under cannabis. Addiction, August 2007.

“The results to date of crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes. …

[In] cases in which THC was the only drug present were analyzed, the culpability ratio was found to be not significantly different from the no-drug group.”

G. Chesher and M. Longo. 2002. Cannabis and alcohol in motor vehicle accidents. In: F. Grotenhermen and E. Russo (Eds.) Cannabis and Cannabinoids. New York: Haworth Press.

“Cannabis leads to a more cautious style of driving, [but] it has a negative impact on decision time and trajectory. [However,] this in itself does not mean that drivers under the influence of cannabis represent a traffic safety risk. … Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving.”

Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. 2002. Cannabis: Summary Report, Chapter 8: Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis.

“Intoxication with cannabis leads to a slight impairment of psychomotor … function. … [However,] the impairment in driving skills does not appear to be severe, even immediately after taking cannabis... This may be because people intoxicated by

cannabis appear to compensate for their impairment by taking fewer risks and driving more slowly, whereas alcohol tends to encourage people to take great risks and drive more aggressively.”

UK House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology. 1998. Ninth Report.

London: United Kingdom. Chapter 4: s4.7.

“There is no evidence that consumption of cannabis alone increases the risk of culpability for traffic crash fatalities or injuries for which hospitalization occurs, and may reduce those risks.

M. Bates and T. Blakely. 1999. “Role of cannabis in motor vehicle crashes.” Epidemiologic Reviews 21: 222-232.

“There was a clear relationship between alcohol and culpability. … In contrast, there was no significant increase in culpability for cannabinoids alone. While a relatively large number of injured drivers tested positive for cannabinoids, culpability rates were no higher than those for the drug free group. This is consistent with other findings.”

Logan, M.C., et al. 2000. The Prevalence of Alcohol, Cannabinoids, Benzodiazepines and Stimulants Amongst Injured Drivers and Their Role in Driver Culpability. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32, 623-32.

“Marijuana impairs driving behavior.

However, this impairment is mitigated in that subjects under marijuana treatment appear to perceive that they are indeed impaired... Effects on driving behavior are present up to an hour after smoking but do not continue for extended periods.”

A. Smiley. 1999. Marijuana: On-Road and Driving-Simulator Studies. In: H. Kalant et al.

(Eds) The Health Effects of Cannabis. Toronto: Center for Addiction and Mental Health.

“Drivers under the influence of marijuana retain insight in their performance and will compensate when they can, for example, by slowing down or increasing effort. As a consequence, THC’s adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small.”

W. Hindrik et al. 1993. Marijuana and actual driving performance. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

> For a complete version of this report see www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ ID=5450 Summer Summer 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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WITH JONATHAN RENNIE

US Mayors For Drug Law Reform

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t its 75th Annual Meeting in June, the US Conference of Mayors came out powerfully in favour of drug law reform.

One of the resolutions adopted at the conference urges an end to the “war on drugs” and calls for a “New Bottom Line” of harm reduction in US drug policy.

The resolution reads like the ultimate harm reductionist wish list - and anathema to America’s prohibitionists. It explicitly states that the war on drugs has failed and that public health policy must concentrate on “reducing the negative consequences associated with drug abuse, while ensuring that policies do not exacerbate these problems or create new social problems of their own”.

It goes on to say that the effectiveness of drug policy should be measured not just by drug use levels, but by a whole raft of quantifiable harm reduction criteria. These include reduction of: overdose fatalities; spread of HIV/AIDS and HepC; number of incarcerated non-violent drug offenders; and racial disparities created or exacerbated by the criminal justice system.

According to the Mayors, flexibility should be given to local communities to develop drug harm reduction practices relevant to their needs - with a barely hidden subtext of “DEA and other Feds butt out”.

The resolution’s strong grasp of harm reduction values makes refreshing reading. It provides more evidence of a growing understanding in American society of the futility of prohibition.

The question is, how soon can the yanks bring themselves to pull out of the war on drugs - and how many lives will be ruined by prohibition in the mean time?

Spotted on a recent trip to Mexico - Grant, Auckland

prohibition costs a Lot

A

ccording to a report published on DrugScience.org cannabis prohibition costs nearly US$42 billion per year in criminal justice costs and in lost tax revenues in the United States. Law enforcement spends $10.7 billion dollars annually to arrest and prosecute cannabis offenders. In addition, prohibition deprives taxpayers of $31.1 billion

Med Pot Hot in U.S. Presidential Campaign

The Marijuana Policy Project has successfully made medical marijuana an election issue in the US. Most major party presidential candidates now support ending federal attacks on medpot patients and caregivers. Even Sen. John McCain (RAZ) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), who supported the federal medical marijuana raids in 2004, are now prepared to defend sick people’s right to use the healing herb. All Democratic candidates have said they would stop the Federal raids on patients and caregivers in states that have legalised medical use.

Texas Takes Baby Steps to Law Reform

Texas police now have the option of issuing a instant fine to those caught with up to quarter of pound of cannabis. The bill was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry.

Previously, any amount of cannabis was automatic grounds for arrest in Texas - just like it still is in New Zealand.

Arnie Tries the Old Herbal Defence

Despite toking on a joint in his 1977 documentary Pumping Iron, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger claims to have never used drugs. His reasoning? “That is not a drug. It’s a leaf,” he told GQ magazine, adding that body building was his drug.

When Pumping Iron was re-released in 2002, Schwarzenegger had said: “I did smoke a joint and I did inhale. The bottom line is that’s what it was in the Seventies, that’s what I did. I have never touched it since.” More recently, he has also stated that it is not necessarily a matter of public interest whether politicians have taken class-A drugs: what matters is the quality of the decisions they make. Right on Arnie, but at NORML News, it really gets up our nose when these cocaine snorting college kids get into office, then actively continue sending people to prison for using drugs.

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dollars annually. The report is available at: www.drugscience.org In northern California, the Mendocino County Board sent out an impassioned letter demanding that marijuana be legalized and taxed for the benefit of local governments.

Estimating that marijuana brings around US$5 billion into the local economy, if the county were to only receive 1 percent of that as a sales tax, it would nearly double the county’s

Aussie Greens Go YellowBellied on Drug Policy

The Australian Green Party has reneged on its sensible drugs policy in a bid to appeal to middle-ground voters. In a new policy document, the party rules out any relaxation of drug laws, despite having previously maintained a law reformist stance.

Aussie Green Senator Bob Brown says the new policy takes the party more into the centre of Australian politics and “leaves the Greens less open to misinterpretation from Family First and Pauline Hanson”. He says that while “victims should be helped,” the Greens will crack down hard on dealers. Brown maintains that the new policy was “honed” by “expert advice, bringing it up to date with world’s best practice.” This despite the fact that around the world drug policy experts agree that harm reduction works better than prohibition.

Party sources said the latest policy was designed to pre-empt the Coalition and other parties from aiming at affluent Leftleaning voters with a scare campaign. It would appear that the Aussie Greens are taking their drug policy advice from PR experts only.

Australia In Legal Drug Abuse ‘Crisis’ Meanwhile, half a million Australians are abusing prescription drugs, a leading drug specialist claims. Professor Saunders, a member of the Australian National Council on Drugs, says Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of prescription drug abuse, especially for benzodiazepines, or tranquillisers. “A substantial portion of the adult population use benzos to help them sleep, but they can easily develop an addiction. It can take as little as two weeks of regular use,” he warns.

Source: www.news. com.au; www.smh. com.au www.normL.org.nz

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TE TUKI. PHOTO BY CHRIS

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British Cannabis Use Drops Following Reclassification

B

ritish cannabis use has declined sharply in the three years following the government’s decision to make possession to a non-arrestable offence, according to the latest figures from the UK Home Office’s annual Crime Survey.

Prohibitionists often claim cannabis use would skyrocket under any other policy, yet their dire predictions have not come true. The Home Office statistics show that cannabis use by young people age 16 to 24 has fallen approximately 20 percent since 2004. Overall, 21 percent of young people admit having tried cannabis, with eight percent of young people saying that they’ve used it in the past month.

By contrast, more than 80 per cent of New Zealand 21year-olds have used cannabis, according to the Christchurch Health and Development Study.

New Zealand has the second highest recorded rate of cannabis use in the world. A far smaller

percentage of young people use cannabis in the United Kingdom than in New Zealand – despite Britain’s enactment of far more “liberal” cannabis laws.

Under reclassification, police have the discretion to warn – rather than arrest – adults found with small amounts of cannabis.

Since the enactment of the policy, police seizures of cannabis have increased, though the total number of people arrested for cannabis has fallen.

For more information, see: Marijuana Decriminalisation & It’s Impact on Use: www.norml. org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3383; UK Home Office Crime Survey: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/bcs1. html

Dutch Govt extends pharmacy medi-weed program

T

he Netherlands government said on 7 November it wants to promote the development of cannabis-based medicine and will extend the drug’s availability in pharmacies by five years to allow more scientific research.

In 2003, the Netherlands became the first country to make cannabis available as a prescription drug in pharmacies.

Three varieties of cannabis flowers are available - all containing standardised amounts of cannabinoids and guaranteed free from fungus or bacteria.

“Medicinal cannabis must become a regular registered medicine,” Health Minister Ab Klink said.

“The development path, that could take several years, can deliver scientific details and insight into the balance between the efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis.”

The government hopes for progress on a cannabis-based drug by the Dutch firm Echo Pharmaceuticals, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry spokesman said several thousand patients were prescribed cannabis in the Netherlands and up to 15,000 people used it for medicinal purposes, although many bought their supply at coffee shops rather than pharmacies.

Source: Reuters 7 November 2007; www.sciam.com

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American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association has declared their unanimous support for the legal protection of patients with doctors’ recommendations to use the herb for medical reasons. The declaration pointed out that the association supports “protection for patients and physicians participating in state approved

Progress Toward Law Reform in Czech

Czech lawmakers are considering lower penalties for small-scale recreational drug growers under a proposed Criminal Code change that would decriminalise recreational drug use.

Penalties would remain heavy for “harder” drugs and commercial cannabis cultivation and dealing. The amendment is intended to separate recreational drug users from “the black market,” says Justice Ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Kuncová.

All-out drug prohibition came into effect in Czech in 1999, despite opposition from intellectuals and professionals. But the policy only breathed life into the street drug market, so the government attempted a shift toward decriminalisation in 2005. The initiative was temporarily shot down by conservatives, but is now back on the agenda. Source: www.praguepo st.com

Dutch Bid to Save ‘Magic Mushrooms’

Over 100 protesters recently popped up in Amsterdam to demonstrate against an imminent ban on magic mushrooms. Dutch legislators are responding to some recent unfortunate shroomic incidents involving tourists - at least one of them fatal - which exposed Holland’s relaxed drug laws to criticism from neighbouring countries still hallucinating on prohibition.

As Dutch mushroom expert, Arno Adelaars, points out, “Only foreigners have this problem, the Dutch don’t because they have good information”. He is concerned that prohibition will only drive use of the psychedelic fungus underground, increasing the likelihood of abuse - as evidenced by the recent stupid-tourists-on-shrooms incidents. “Amsterdam is like a pilgrimage for youngsters in Europe,” explains Adelaars. But coming from prohibitionist countries, they naively mix mushrooms with alcohol and other drugs and get into trouble, he concludes. Source: Reuters, 28 October 2007. www.normL.org.nz

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TRAVEL

We stepped of the shuttle from Eindhoven airport at 1am and I was instantly struck by the sheer amount of people still out, and all different types too. It’s the sort of thing you can never grasp in New Zealand with our population of 4 million or so.

In Holland there are 16.5 million people in a country 6 times smaller - how’s that for population mass! Now we weren’t there to just lose ourselves in a cloud of smoke. We had a mission, several in fact.

The first mission was to interview a couple of kiwis that are currently sitting on top of the whole marijuana growing game here in Amsterdam. That’s right folks, in the ganga capital of Europe, New Zealand is the current title holders of the prestigious High Times Cannabis Cup. We had orders from the boss to smoke ourselves into a stupor, so first port of call was hooking up with our host and hitting the town. Dave from Kiwiseeds took us straight to the red light district where we were staying, introduced us to the mainly Kiwi crew that they have and voila, a

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stupor was quickly achieved. These boys really know how to party, and showed us an awesome time, for which I can’t thank them enough. It was real nice to kick it with some kiwis after two months of hopping around Europe. The red light district is a real eye opener, with open windows displaying scantily clad females of all varieties - and they actually have real red lights above all the windows! Sex shops are everywhere, with inebriated tourists and locals milling about, and the righteous smell of high grade everywhere.

It’s a sinners paradise and truly a spectacle not to be missed. So after several days of experiencing the wonders of this adult playground, we locked in the interview with Tim, the driving force behind Kiwiseeds, at a lovely seaside cafe just out of the Dam’.

P: So Tim, give me a bit of a breakdown of how you came to Amsterdam from New Zealand.

T: Well my brother and I grew up in Whangarei and there we were mainly involved in the cannabis trade because its the only trade that was worth anything when we were kids, and we were also involved in the family business of horticulture. Then when we were teenagers we moved to the Hawkes Bay and realised that there was a market bringing things down from the north to the Bay. So we ended up making some deals with the local gangsters to bring down kilos of marijuana from Whangarei..

Whoa wait a minute, can we publish this stuff? Ok we’ll censor it according to our laws dude, continue...

Haha! Anyway we were getting in so much trouble at home that we decided to head off to Europe. Fortunately our parents were born in England so we came back and stayed www.normL.org.nz

PHOTOS BY PAULY & KIWISEEDS

A

msterdam, mecca to ganga worshippers, world capital of sin and the crossroads of Europe. Many avid followers of marijuana culture will make the pilgrimage to the Dam, and I am no exception. It did not disappoint. In fact it far exceeded expectations! BY PAULY PAUL

Above: Mako Haze.

Above Left: Dampkring coffeeshop

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< continued from previous page

KIWISEEDS from top: 2-pounder, White Island, Tasman Haze & Mt Cook.

Nice, there’s been a bit of a process from getting to Amsterdam to where you are now as well, I mean things have been changing a lot for you guys, especially of late right?

Yeah for sure. Our story in Amsterdam started off doing menial jobs in the hotel THE KIWISEEDS GUYS: from left: Tim, Dave & Dave industry, but still always Below: close up of Mako Haze, Cannabis Cup winner. interested in the cannabis scene, very much still a grower for the whole time, and by were after in those days. So we named this plant that stage using genetics that we’d brought from ‘Mako’, and when we came to Holland we decided New Zealand and crossing them with plants from to bring it over. We brought it over as a clone and Holland, and trying to stabilise things that we here we crossed it with the Haze and the crossing thought captured the taste of the Kiwi bush weed was just perfect. It became a very manageable with the indoor strains from here. So one thing led plant, not super tall, huge yield and its got that to another and we started Kiwiseeds. The owner of lovely taste, and so that was the Mako Haze. the Dampkring coffeeshop was very interested and Yep, it definitely has a lovely taste, it was we joined together and started the growshop and meant to be... Do you think New Zealand weed the Kiwiseeds thing has really launched it into the is better than Dutch weed? Could that be why public eye. your strain came through so strong?

On that note the boys have been really continued over page > cleaning up over here with a couple of their new strains, could you give me a brief breakdown of the competitions that you’ve won so far?

OK the first and probably best win we’ll ever have is the High Times Sativa Cup, a competition held every year in Amsterdam. We were very pleased to come away with what’s recognised between growers and breeders as the best cup at that particular festival. So we did really well and its had a snowball effect. We’ve entered Mako Haze in other competitions, and it is still now a year later more popular than ever.

Which leads nicely into the next question, how was Mako Haze produced?

We had a plant in the north that we grew very successfully that every year would produce consistently top quality, sticky, golden nuggets, which is what we

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PHOTOS BY PAULY & KIWISEEDS

in London for a year and then was visiting for a weekend in Amsterdam and had always thought it was nice but never thought we’d have a chance.

But a chance came up and we took it and have been here ever since.

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< continued from previous page

K

iwiseeds have picked up a few prizes along the way, including: MAKO HAZE: 1st prize - best sativa - High Times Cannabis Cup 2006; 3rd prize Seed Company Bio - High Life Cup 2007; 3rd prize - IC magazine 420 - Amsterdam 2007.

ALEGRIA: 1st prize - best biological weed - Highlife Cup 2007; 3rd prize - IC magazine 420 - Amsterdam 2007 SOUTH STAR: 3rd prize - best bio outdoor weed - Spannabiz Barcelona 2007

Can you give me a brief breakdown of the laws in regards to growing and distributing in the Dam’?

Well these laws apply to the whole of Holland. Even though it seems all free when you come here, its actually illegal to grow on a commercial scale like we do. It is however the second biggest commercial crop in Holland, right behind cheese. The industry is huge, for tourists as well as a lot

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the gauntlet?

Well I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed back with the past I have! Haha if a way could be found to enter the cup in New Zealand though I would consider it an honour, I’m not sure when its held?

Late may, on a boat...

Haha, you guys paranoid over there or something?

No, its a lovely 7 hour boat cruise through the harbour...

It sounds fantastic and I would be more than proud to come compete in the New Zealand Cannabis Cup, I don’t know about this year but maybe next year I could be up for it.

Te Kakariki vs Mako Haze!

Sounds like a showdown.

Yeah its like the Godzilla vs Mothra of the weed world!

Haha, we’ll see how we go, we’ve got the cannabis cup this year and maybe we’ll bring whatever we win with this time, test it out on you fulla’s...

without arrest. The government tolerates the coffeeshops even though there is no legal way of the ganga to get there, which is known as the grey area. But there is no greenhouses pumping out hundred’s of kilos of marijuana, that is a myth.

We’re looking for some serious competition for the reigning 3 times NZ champion Te Kakariki, any possibility you’ll step up to the plate and slap down

Which sounds like a definite possibility to me.

Cheers Tim, appreciate you taking the time mate.

No wuckers mate.

So that’s the current world Cannabis Cup Champ, and you couldn’t meet a nicer guy, doing us Kiwis proud on the international circuit. Thanks also to Dave, Dave, Rob and Danny for the great time, see you guys again soon. > Coming up next issue: Pauly talks to Mila at the Pollinator Company and Adam at T.H.Seeds. www.normL.org.nz

PHOTOS BY PAULY

Holland doesn’t have an outdoor climate, and I think we always had a really good outdoor growing scene. We were lucky that we were in the right place at the right time in Holland where for the last 15 years or so they have been developing a lot of indica strains under lights that were fast flowering, and very crystally, but bred for thousands of years for hash making, not smoking. But the thing was this weed tasted like rubbish so it was only a matter of time before people started looking back to the old sativa strains and realising they were the best genetics when it came to good tasting marijuana and there was a scramble to get back all these old genetics from the days of old. When we started up Kiwiseeds we developed the perfect mix with a good yield but with the quality taste of the sativa and kiwi bush weed, with a much longer high and a nicer taste, obviously made for smoking.

of marijuana that is grown is exported to Germany, France, and the UK. The government on one hand really likes the money, so they just really want a way to tax it. The coffeeshops were a nice idea to give the stoners somewhere to go. But the other side to that idea is that by putting a licence on the shop then they can make their money on it through taxes, as well as keeping an eye on the youth on the steets.

The problem is that its all legal from that side of it, but the backdoor as we call it is illegal, so there’s no way for the marijuana to get to the coffeeshops, because no one is allowed to carry more than 5 grams of marijuana on them at any time, and it is not legal to grow under lights. When the system asks where it came from, the answer is ‘I don’t know’. That’s the hypocrisy of the system.

You can have up to 5 grams on you at any time, you can have no more than a kilo behind the counter at any coffeeshop, and you can smoke anywhere in Holland

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Summer 2008 N O R M L N e W S

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LEGAL Briefs

Property Seizure 2.0

The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill

BY CHRIS FOWLIE

T

he Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill is a significant erosion of civil liberties and will almost certainly see the innocent punished The bill has not yet come back from the Law and Order Committee and so could still be significantly amended. It proposes to seize people’s assets even though they have not been convicted of any crime. It violates fundamental norms of justice, such as the presumption of innocence and the prohibition on double jeopardy, and could also breach the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. If passed, the bill would allow both conviction-based forfeiture and confiscation which requires no conviction for property that is said to be the proceeds of crime or unlawfully derived income.

The same person may be the subject of criminal prosecution and confiscation action under the civil process. Those who are acquitted can still have their assets seized for unproved and unspecified crimes. They would not even have to be prosecuted to have their assets seized.

Furthermore, if they are prosecuted they could not use their disputed assets to fund their defence.

In a departure from the accepted norms of natural justice, people who are targeted must prove themselves innocent. The bill allows the government to use an absurdly low standard of proof - “reasonable cause to believe” - to seize assets. With insufficient evidence for a conviction, police may approach a High Court judge with a lower standard of proof to seize assets. Suspects may not even know they face action and may have no opportunity to defend themselves.

The bill specifies that “the court may not allow legal expenses to be paid out of the restrained property”, denying suspects the fundamental right to legal representation.

The retrospective provisions in the Bill made it even more contemptible.

The Proceeds of Crime Act 1991 Under the existing Proceeds of Crime Act 1991, which the new bill would replace, almost the entire total amount confiscated has been from cannabis growers.

To seize property the police need only show that the property has been “tainted”

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- they don’t need to prove it was paid for using drug incomes. Furthermore, they only need show a civil burden of proof, i.e. a “balance of probabilities” rather than the usual proof of “beyond all reasonable doubt”. Not only is the new bill repugnant, the Proceeds of Crime Act 1991 should also be repealed.

The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) bill should rejected in its current form, and along with the Proceeds of Crime Act 1991 should be amended to: > restore the defendant’s right to presumption of innocence; > require a criminal burden of proof and conviction for all property seizures; > ensure property that is not proved to have been gained through illegal means is not subject to seizure, especially family or ancestral property; > ensure defendant’s right to legal representation, to know they face proceedings and to mount a defence, and to not facing “double jeopardy” through both civil and criminal proceedings.

Maori Maori are at particular risk of having their ancestral lands taken by the Crown - for a second time. Many Iwi and Hapu have only marginal lands left. Faced with little prospect of farming this land, little hope of legitimate employment and ongoing land rates to pay, some have chosen to use the opportunity cannabis prohibition has presented them with. Money may not grow on trees, but it does grow on cannabis plants that are almost worth their weight in gold.

If they are caught Maori face not only a harsher average sentence but may have their ancestral lands confiscated under the Proceeds of Crimes Act, despite the obvious fact that the land could not have been paid

for using illicit drug money.

Police corruption Asset forfeiture laws encourage corruption. There have been several reports of police impropriety in attempting to seize property including planting evidence and lying under oath.

In one of the biggest sums awarded against police, in August 1999 Judge Michael Lance awarded Great Barrier Island man Colin Moore $54,000 towards the $100,000 he spent defending charges of cultivating cannabis and fighting to keep the family farm. Police did not photograph the evidence or give Moore the chance to look at the plants. They also left out evidence during the trial. The Police helicopter was allegedly spotted delivering a load of cannabis to Mr Moore’s farm. The farm had been in the family for generations and could not have been paid for with drug money.

The Judge was scathing of the Proceeds of Crime Act. “It’s an invasion of personal privacy,” said Lance. “The legislation needs some careful attention.”

Even the rather conservative New Zealand Herald opposed the new bill (27/11/04): “It’s classically opinion-poll driven legislation that seeks to wipe out the rights of people who legitimately own property by seizing that property on what’s often no more than a suspicion.

The onus is then on the owner of that property to prove otherwise. It can be very hard to prove income was legally derived without documented evidence.”

The government believes other countries have been more successful in seizing assets.

However, in seeking to ‘get tough’ on drugs, they are trampling on all our rights and the principles of natural justice.

Next issue: in Pt.3 of this series Auckland lawyer Rob Weir reports on the progress of the bill and any changes made by the Law and Order Select Committee

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KNOW YOUR

RIGHTS

caption TE KAKARIKI

BUSTLINE for civil rights advice & support, call us on

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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.

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 in court, you may be eligible for the police diversion scheme. Ask your lawyer or the duty sergeant for more information. · Otherwise, your 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 be able to plea bargain at a “status hearing” before it goes to trial. · Preparing your defence: write everything down in as much detail as possible. Go through the police evidence and identify any discrepancies or errors. Help your lawyer by doing research.

Search the internet, law libraries and courts.govt.nz to get copies of important 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 · Freephone the Police Complaints Authority 0800 503 728; or your local community law centre, YouthLaw, a lawyer or NORML. Write down everything that happened while you remember. Get photos of any injuries and see a doctor.

Summer Summer 2008 2008 N NO OR RM M LL N Ne eW WS S

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CHRIS

GUIDE TO

PHOTO:

safer CANNABIS USE

The vast majority of people who use cannabis suffer no harm, but some 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.

Harm reduction: > Remember that “Less is More” - the less you use, the less you will need, and the more high you will get. > NORML recommends consuming organic cannabis. > Heavy long term cannabis use may lead to some respiratory damage. Deep tokes and long breath duration are more harmful to the lungs. > Water pipes and bongs help cool the smoke, filter solids, and absorb some of the most harmful tars in the water. Bongs can make the smoke very smooth, so avoid inhaling too deeply. Replace bong water each time and regularly sterilise your pipe or bong (eg using meths, alcohol or denture cleaning tablets) > Try other ways of ingesting cannabis, such as eating or drinking it, or using a vaporiser to heat the herb and release THC without combustion.

> When eating cannabis preparations, start with a small piece and wait an hour before increasing the amount, if desired. The effects of edible cannabis products may be stronger than smoked cannabis.

Health warnings: > Cannabis is best avoided by pregnant and breast-feeding women. > Meningitis and other diseases can be transmitted through saliva, so don’t share spit on joints or pipes. Try using your hands like a chillum to hold the joint. > People with a history of severe mental illness should reduce any cannabis use to a level agreed with their clinician, or avoid cannabis altogether. > Those receiving digitalis or other heart medications should consult their doctors before using cannabis

VOTE alcp

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N O R M L N e W S Summer 2008

> Never consume cannabis that appears artificially coloured, as 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 means 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. > There are often more significant harms that result from the criminal status of cannabis - such as being labelled a criminal, or robber or beaten for a herb.

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.

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SHOW YOUR GROW!

clockwise from above: Under me sensi, Auckland; Hash-covered bud, from the Big Smoke; this golden bay bush weed wasn’t seen; Big Bud x Northern Lights from RiskOne. Centre: ‘Green Goddess’ a Motueka mural by Rosie Laszlo.

How does your garden compare? email high resolution digi pix to news@norml.org.nz or post film, photos or CDs to NORML News, PO Box 3307 Auckland NZ. Chur!

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