PLEA TO KEEP CANNABIS BAN

The School Trustees Association and National Party joined forces today to
launch a petition against decriminalising cannabis.

The move has been criticised by the Greens, who say it is a gratuitous
attempt to divert attention away from the real need to address cannabis use
and abuse among young people.

The Government has agreed that a review of cannabis legislation will be
undertaken by the health select committee, but no commitment has been made
to decriminalisation.

National education spokesman Nick Smith said young people needed
decriminalisation as much as they needed "a gun to the head."

"Our petition is a plea to the Prime Minister to put young people and their
education to the fore and decriminalisation off the agenda."

The petition will be circulated to all 2700 schools in New Zealand and then
presented to Parliament.

Dr Smith said they wanted debate on how education programmes could be more
effective and how treatment for users could be improved.

"However, the ongoing talk about decriminalisation is giving young people
the message that cannabis is OK. It is making the already difficult job for
principals and boards of keeping schools drug-free impossible."

But Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said there was a need for a thorough
review of the law so that access and use of the drug to teenagers could be
reduced.