DAKTA IN THE HOUSE

He calls himself Dakta Green.

The 59-year-old has been jailed in California and New Zealand for
cultivating cannabis but has no plans to change his ways.

Dakta is a strong activist for law reform surrounding the drug and
has been pushing for its legalisation since 1999.

He's even set up a cannabis club in a New Lynn warehouse known as the Daktory.

Dakta says marijuana use is widespread and causes less harm in the
community than alcohol.

"You have no idea how many people from all walks of life smoke
cannabis in this country," he says. "The youngest I've smoked with
was 14 because his parents were present and the oldest was over 80 years old.

"We cannot call all these people criminals. It's part of popular
culture. The fact that everybody is doing it is a damn good reason to
stop locking a few of us up."

Dakta Green was born in Wellington in 1950 and attended high school
in Taumarunui.

He went on to become a businessman and entrepreneur in Auckland and
ran a casino on a boat in 1986.

He says the operation took place offshore - outside of police jurisdiction.

The New Lynn resident was not always pro-marijuana and didn't try it
until he was 39.

"I was a prohibitionist when I grew up. I didn't know why. I thought
cannabis was evil and was highly opposed to it.

"I always thought it was against the law and would cause brain damage.

"I finally tried it to find out why young people found it so attractive."

Dakta's first smoke completely changed his life.

"I woke up the following morning without a hangover and was no longer
a prohibitionist.

"From that point on I slowly became immersed in the culture."

The grandfather-of-seven uses the drug daily.

"It is of benefit for my general health and well-being and also for
socialising," he says. "I am a cannabis consumer and am not ashamed
of it. I don't believe I should be treated as a second-class citizen
by society."

Dakta travelled to Australia and on to the United States to expand
his knowledge of the drug.

"I moved to California to learn how to grow medical-grade cannabis of
the highest and healthiest quality.

"I got busted and spent a year in Chester County Prison in 1999. I
was then required to leave the States."

He continued to perfect his growing techniques until he was caught in
Auckland with around 150 cannabis plants.

The father-of-three was locked up in November 2002 and spent the next
two years and eight months in 11 prisons around the North Island.

"I planned the Daktory in prison with a desire to make a change in
our laws around marijuana.

"I decided to travel the country and discuss cannabis with New
Zealanders. I believe if they know the truth about it they won't
support the continued incarceration of people."

Dakta and his supporters use a bus to spread their message.

"We started a tour of the country in March last year and did 42 towns
in 42 days and had 42 public smoking sessions at 4.20pm. We took our
protest on tour.

"In Wellington we did it in Parliament grounds and 60 people turned up."

Dakta also ran as a candidate for Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis in the
Mt Albert byelection and came sixth out of 15 contenders.

The Daktory opened on November 19, 2008.

"This is a cannabis connoisseurs' club. We are doing it here in
private but we're not going to stop making noise.

"This is a place were people bring their own and enjoy our facilities.

"If the police want to come bursting in here, bring it on."

Dakta says he's been arrested a number of times over the last year.

He will appear in the Waitakere District Court this month on multiple
cannabis charges.

Sergeant Grant Watson says police policy on marijuana is quite clear
- - it's illegal.

"It doesn't matter where you are, in a private dwelling or anywhere,
smoking and possessing cannabis is an offence against the misuse of
drugs act and carries a fine and or a term of imprisonment," he says.

Mr Watson says police will investigate alleged offences if they have
sufficient cause.

He urges people to come forward if they have evidence of an offence
being committed.

"We can search without a warrant under section 18 of the misuse of
drugs act and prosecute," he says.

Membership at the Daktory is confidential but each smoker pays $20 a
month and must sign up for at least a year.

"We started with 20 in November last year and by the end of January
there were more than 1500," Dakta says.

"Our members support the ongoing costs and bills, including renting
the premises.

"This is not a private business. I run it but only hold the company
shares in trust while a community trust is being formed. This is a
model for places to come.

"Within two years there will be daktories all over the country that
will cater for people in our culture and the profits will go back to
the community because they will be owned and operated by community trusts.

"If you want a drink you have to go to licensed premises. If you want
a joint, you go to unlicensed premises and we call them tinny houses.
We think that's wrong."

There are clear rules within the club.

"We require people to conduct themselves in a particular way, exactly
the same as if we were a legally licensed premises. We set standards."

He says the Daktory started selling up to 20 different strains of
marijuana from its premises but stopped in April when demand skyrocketed.

"We were getting traffic jams outside and people were queuing at our
dispensary and wanting to join. We didn't have the management systems
in place."

He says the dispensary will reopen to the public in January and will
be restricted to those 18 years and older.

Dakta Green believes cannabis will be legal and available from
daktories throughout the country by the end of next year.

"I expect to prove that cannabis in the hands of a responsible adult
is a relatively benign plant and is certainly less harmful than
alcohol," he says.

"It's time that our Members of Parliament stood up and said we don't
care about the science. What we care about is keeping cannabis out
and it's a political decision we're making."