PARLIAMENT COPS A TASTE OF DOPE

A group of chilled-out protesters gathered under the shadow of the
Beehive to light up a few cheeky joints - and to send a message of
cannabis law reform to politicians.

The 50-strong group started drifting into Parliament Grounds from 3pm
yesterday and lit up their joints for one smoky hour from 4.20pm,
watched by police and parliamentary security.

Among them was National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
spokesman Danyl Strype, who said: "The police and the security people
have been very approachable. We are being allowed to smoke, I guess,
because of the political nature of our action."

NORML was on a 42-city and small-town tour of New Zealand to support
cannabis law reform. It drove to Parliament in what Mr Strype
described as the bus version of the Rainbow Warrior - a green and
yellow 1969 Bedford dubbed Maryjane the canna-bus.

Mr Strype was in favour of responsible use of the drug by adults and
had a personal beef with the current laws.

He said he did not like what prohibition had done to his friends and
people he knew "who do no harm to anybody else. Their vice is to have
a joint of an evening".

"My friend went to jail for a few months for that. He was put in
prison with those who have killed and raped."