DUNNE CLAIMS REJECTED BY GREENS - IGNORING EVIDENCE

WELLINGTON (NZPA) -- United Future leader Peter Dunne is ignoring evidence
cannabis use does not lead on to hard drugs, Green MP Nandor Tanczos said
yesterday.

Mr Dunne yesterday labelled calls by Mr Tanczos for police to ease up on
cannabis law enforcement to concentrate on methamphetamine, or P, as a "new
height in hypocrisy".

It was beyond dispute that cannabis was a "gateway" to harder drugs such as
P, Mr Dunne said.

Mr Tanczos told NZPA it was not beyond dispute at all.

In fact, a recent health select committee report had raised fears that
cannabis prohibition would led to increased hard drug use, he said.

"If you look at the evidence of Holland - where you can buy cannabis over
the counter - they have one of the lowest rates of hard drug addiction in
the western world," he said.

Mr Dunne asked why Mr Tanczos was now so concerned about P when the Green
Party alone block-voted to oppose P being reclassified as a class A drug
this year.

Mr Tanczos said at the time he was extremely concerned about the use of P
but reclassifying it was not the answer.

He said yesterday about half the cannabis charges laid were against those
who had the drug for personal use.

He simply wanted police to target pushers, not users, and to target the
worst pushers - those who also dealt in P.

"Target the manufacturers and sellers of P, rather than cannabis users," he
said.