Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jul 2016
Source: Nelson Mail, The (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2016 Fairfax New Zealand Limited
Contact:  http://www.nelsonmail.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1069
Author: Victoria Davis

CANNABIS CHANGE

There are urgent calls from many sectors of our society for our 
government to end the ineffective, expensive and irrational war on 
drugs. Police advise that they spend $230m a year on cannabis 
"crime". Beverley Aldridge, president of the Otamatea Grey Power 
branch, said that the branch voted unanimously to create a petition 
to re-legalise cannabis. Her petition acknowledges the fact that 
cannabis has been used legally for centuries before the demonisation 
and subsequent prohibition of this useful plant in 1961.

She also makes the point that the US government has patented cannabis 
because of its known health benefits and they want the 
re-legalisation of cannabis in New Zealand before the TPPA threatens 
our copyright sovereign rights.

You can find their petition online at the www.toko.org.nz site. 
August 31 is the deadline for this worthy petition. Many elders find 
cannabis helpful for insomnia, pain while waiting on surgical lists, 
arthritis, anxiety, and depression. Cannabis is particularly valued 
because it offers relief from a wide range of ailments. Research in 
countries, such as USA, Spain, NZ, UK, Germany has proven that it 
heals or stabilises some diseases.

Victoria Davis

Golden Bay
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom