TEN YEARS ON, THE SMOKE STILL HANGS

Whangarei psychologist Les Gray had a strange sense of deja vu as he
watched Green MP Nandor Tanczos tell the nation on the Holmes show
that cannabis was part of his life.

Mr Gray was arrested in May 1989 - and lost a year's supply of
cannabis - after appearing on the same programme and declaring that he
enjoyed the drug.

He expects Mr Tanczos will fare better than he did - and that was the
early indication from police.

"We're 10 years down the track, and we're a lot closer to seeing the
law changed than 10 years ago. But, my God, it takes a long time."

Mr Gray, who at 55 is still president of the Aotearoa Legalise
Cannabis Party, recalls his comment on Holmes that sparked four court
cases and a national debate on cannabis.

"I decided I wouldn't just admit that I used it. I said, 'Yes thank
you, Paul, I enjoy it.' I knew it would antagonise a lot of people,
particularly the cannabis cowboys in the police."

Three days later, police swooped on his houseboat and arrested him for
possession. The arrest came five years after Mr Gray, then an
Education Department psychologist, was sacked from his job for
publicly stating his pro-cannabis views.

Mr Gray fought the possession charge, and Judge David McKegg ruled in
his favour, saying it struck at the basis of honest debate and freedom
of speech that the police had obtained their search warrant as a
result of Mr Gray's admission on Holmes.

But the police appealed, and Justice Henry said the dismissal had been
exercised on a wrong principle.

Mr Gray failed to overturn the ruling through the Court of Appeal, and
ended up back before Judge McKegg.

This time he was fined $100. He resolved to go to jail and fast rather
than pay, but an anonymous person came up with the money and nipped
the protest in the bud. "I'm not sure if it was John Banks or the
Commissioner of Police," he joked yesterday.

He doesn't regret his actions, "though at times I get fed up ... I've
had 15 years fronting this issue and surely we could have had it
resolved years ago.

"It's still taking people such as Nandor to have the courage to be
honest and to state their position bravely and be prepared to face the
consequences."

Mr Gray said the current debate was one-sided and "people who want to
speak against prohibition dare not in case they get the same treatment
I got."

However, he was happy most of the political parties acknowledged the
need to review the law.

Mr Gray said prohibition had caused trauma to families and widespread
contempt of the police and blocked credible drug education. His long
association with the drug doesn't mean he's not partial to other
pleasures. "I still enjoy cannabis, and I still enjoy chardonnay as
well."