Pubdate: Fri, 08 May 2015
Source: Gisborne Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2015 The Gisborne Herald Co. Ltd
Contact: http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/Contact/
Website: http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/924
Author: William Rea

UNJUST, INEFFECTIVE

The police showed good sense when they ignored some minor cannabis 
smoking incidents last Saturday.

People were protesting against cannabis laws at 10 cities and towns 
around New Zealand, and calling on our government to regulate 
cannabis similarly to alcohol.

When people are exercising their democratic rights, police harassment 
of smokers would have been a waste of taxpayers' money and valuable 
police resources. Protesting against unjust laws is our democratic 
right, so long as it's not a threat to others in any way.

New Zealand spent $59 million from 2007 to 2011 imprisoning those who 
were convicted of minor drug offences and had to serve custodial 
sentences. This was only imprisonment costs, not costs to police, the 
courts, treatment or probation.

Current policy has proven highly ineffective at restricting young 
people's access to cannabis. Legal regulation, which includes age 
restrictions, can limit young people's access to it. Only 23 percent 
of Dutch people aged 15 to 64 had ever tried cannabis and 7 percent 
had used it recently; compared to 50 percent lifetime use and 15 
percent recent use in New Zealand.

Government surveys show about 540,000 New Zealanders smoke pot 
regularly, while 70,000 light up every day. Our public policies 
should reflect this reality, not deny it.

William Rea Waihi
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom