CANNABIS LAW WILL NOT CHANGE

Goff gives assurance to United First

Wellington: The Government gave an assurance in Parliament yesterday it
would not change the legal status of cannabis, citing its agreement with
United Future.

The health committee is due to release its long-awaited report today on the
health effects of cannabis. It has been investigating since late 2000.

The Greens had hoped its finding would provoke a public debate leading to
decriminalisation but any chance of that happening disappeared when the
Government signed its support agreement with United Future after the last
election.

With the report about to be published, United Future MP Judy Turner asked
Justice Minister Phil Goff if the Government intended changing the status of
cannabis this parliamentary term, or introducing legislation to change the
law in the next term.

"I can categorically rule out any change to the status of cannabis," Mr Goff
replied.

The Government would carefully consider the committee's report, but that
would not include the possibility of decriminalisation.

Opposition MPs wanted to know what would happen if a Labour MP introduced a
member's Bill to change the status - an unlikely event given the deal with
United Future.

Mr Goff said nothing could be done to stop any MP introducing a member's
Bill and drug issues were usually decided by a con-science vote.

Ms Turner said if a member's Bill was brought in, United Future would expect
the Government to oppose it.

"Clearly, we would expect the spirit of this key condition of the confidence
and supply agreement to be honoured under all circumstances," she said.

"The Government saw fit to block vote on matters such as anti-smoking
legislation now before the House, so where there's a will, there's a way."

So far, no MP has produced a member's Bill to legalise or decriminalise
cannabis.

Green MP Nandor Tanczos drafted one but has not put it in the member's Bill
ballot.

The Green party said at the weekend it would relaunch its campaign for
cannabis law reform.

Mr Tanczos, who says he regularly smokes cannabis as part of his Rastafarian
religion, still hopes public opinion will swing behind law reform.

"We need to treat personal use of cannabis as a health issue, not a crime,"
he said. "We need to control cannabis in an effective way.

"It is clear that the current prohibition does not reduce cannabis abuse
[and] does not limit underage use." - NZPA