PARLIAMENT SET TO REVIEW CANNABIS LAWS

New Zealand's cannabis-smoking laws are likely to be reviewed by
Parliament's health select committee, despite National leader Jenny
Shipley's strong opposition.

Mrs Shipley said yesterday she was handing over responsibility for
proposals to change the law on cannabis to Labour, the Alliance, and
the Greens. She would campaign against any change that would signal
liberalisation rather than a firm message about the real dangers of
cannabis. "Another select committee review will cause confusion and
further damage," she said. "Already most New Zealanders are confused
by the Labour and Green MPs' stand on this issue, making the job for
police and parents more difficult."

Health Minister Annette King, who asked National to back her plan to
review the law using a select committee, said the Government only
needed the Greens' support. At the Green conference in Turangi at the
weekend, co-leader Rod Donald said his party would support the plan.

Ms King said it was ironic that National had turned against the
review, because it was a National-dominated select committee that last
year recommended a review. Ms King, who admits to having smoked
cannabis in the "far distant" past, said she went into the debate
against cannabis, but was now more prepared to listen to both sides.
Her preference, she said, was to have the health select committee
review the law. If that direction was chosen, she would expect work to
start about December.

The public would have the greatest access to present evidence of all
the options, she said.

Other options included reviews by an inquiry , a committee of
officials, or a committee of experts.