CANNABIS LAW CHANGE IN OFFING

Minister Says New Ideas Needed

Cannabis could be decriminalised or even legalised under a re-think of drug
laws proposed by the new Minister of Police, Clem Simich.

He yesterday compared the law against smoking cannabis to alcohol
prohibition in the 1920s and suggested it was time for a change.

"Its an issue I believe we need to look at. I don't think it serves too
much purpose and the disadvantage is that it costs an enormous amount of
police resources and time when there are other matters they could be
dealing with.

"My belief is it is not working today and we need to look at other ways of
dealing with the problem.

"It's like prohibition in the old days. This issue involves mostly young
people. Generally when you're told not to do something, you do it."

The former police officer, who supported decriminalisation as a
backbencher, said he had an open mind on whether cannabis should be
decriminalise - which would mean instant fines but no convictions - or
legalised completely.

However, he would wait for the report of Parliament's health select
committee on the mental health effects of using the drug before taking the
issue further.

Mr Simich has support from the police, who told the committee last month
that they were open-minded about decriminalisation.

But he would face an uphill battle to force the change through the cabinet,
where the Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, the Minister of Health, Bill
English, and the former Associate Minister of Health, Roger Sowry - now a
"super minister" in charge of social issues - are understood to oppose any
weakening of the law. New Zealand Associate Minister of Health Says, "We
will not tolerate any form of drug-related harm."

Reforming cannabis laws will also rank as a low priority for the new
National Government, already struggling for day-to-day survival and to get
its promised agenda through Parliament.

But the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws welcomed Mr
Simich's comments.

A spokesperson, Chris Fowlie, said he knew Mr Simich favoured
decriminalisation but it was significant to have him actively supporting it
as Minister of Police.

Mr Fowlie said he expected the select committee to make similar
recommendations in its report by December, which would bring the country
closer than ever to a law change.

However, decriminalisation has been attacked by some Maori health officials
who claim it could "destroy" the Maori race.

Dr David Gilgen of the Raukura Hauora o Tainui Trust, a tribal health
authority serving 40,000 Maori in South Auckland and Waikato, said last
month that the police acceptance of decriminalisation meant they had lost
their war against cannabis.

In March the Drug Policy Forum Trust, a group of doctors and professionals,
called on the Government to legalise the drug, while the Associate Minister
of Health, Tuariki Delamere, said in June that politicians should not
condemn young people for smoking cannabis when they occasionally openly
abused alcohol.

Copyright New Zealand Herald

Checked-by: Richard Lake