NEW ZEALAND MP VOWS TO KEEP SMOKING MARIJUANA

A NEWLY-ELECTED Rastafarian MP has caused a uproar in New Zealand by
vowing to carry on smoking marijuana after taking office.

Nandor Tanczos, 33, is also calling for the drug to be
legalised.

The MP, who emigrated from Britain, spends time in both countries and
was involved in Britain's anti-roads movement in 1995. He joins six
fellow Green Party MPs in holding the balance of power in parliament.
Under the country's complex system of proportional representation, the
Greens have gone from having no representation on election night last
month to pushing the Labour-Alliance coalition, led by Helen Clark,
into minority government with 59 of the 120 seats. The Green Party
supports Mr Tanczos's stance on marijuana and its plans have horrified
churchmen and community leaders, who point to a new study showing that
more than one in five drivers who died on the roads in a two-year
period had been smoking marijuana in the hours before they crashed.
Use of marijuana is widespread in New Zealand but it remains illegal
and possession of more than 38 grams is punishable by up to two years
in jail. Mr Tanczos, who was born in London of a Hungarian father and
South African mother, claims to smoke the drug about once a week as
part of his religion. He insisted that he would not smoke the drug
while on parliamentary business.

Review of the marijuana laws is due to be considered next
year.