TOP COP TO SNIFF OUT MP'S POT

One of Wellington police's top guns has been called in to investigate a
complaint that Green MP Nandor Tanczos uses cannabis.

Wellington district commander Superintendent John Kelly announced yesterday
that newly-appointed district crime boss Detective Inspector Harry Quinn
would "evaluate the police response to the allegations".

Mr Quinn had interviewed the Rastafarian MP at Parliament on Thursday, Mr
Kelly said. He would not disclose what had been discussed during the
hour-long interview.

Mr Tanczos was also unwilling to divulge what was discussed at the
interview, which was held without his lawyer present, but with fellow Green
MP Metiria Turei.

Police had been unable to tell him how long the inquiry would take, Mr
Tanczos said.

"But it highlights how ludicrous it is for the police to be investigating
adults for minor cannabis offences when they are woefully under-resourced
to do their job."

A written complaint was lodged with Mr Kelly on Thursday by NZ First MP
Craig McNair.

The complaint said Mr Tanczos had admitted in newspaper interviews in April
and June 2000 and last month that he used the drug as part of his
Rastafarian religion.

According to Mr McNair that indicated that Mr Tanzcos had broken the law on
more than 20 occasions and appeared to do so "with impunity".

"To the best of my knowledge, there has been no investigation of his
claimed drug use. Claiming that cannabis use is part of a religion surely
does not exempt him from prosecution."

Mr Tanczos had publicly admitted smoking cannabis in 1996, when he was
quoted in a newspaper while on the election trail campaigning for the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.

He said: "As a Rastafarian, I am exercising my God-given right to worship
my creator.

"When I smoke cannabis I'm worshipping my creator."

Mr Kelly would not say why police had not launched an investigation into Mr
Tanczos' self-proclaimed drug use earlier.

Neither Mr Kelly nor Mr Quinn could be contacted for further comment yesterday.

Mr Tanczos said he had made it clear from the beginning he was happy to
talk to police about the complaint.

But the incident showed how the cannabis debate was being stifled by fear
of the law, he said.

"People in public life, people who have a media profile, people in
positions of authority, generally can't talk openly about the fact they use
cannabis.

"I'm unusual in that I've come out and said openly I use cannabis."

National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws national coordinator
Chris Fowlie, speaking from Thailand yesterday, said he believed Mr McNair
was wasting police and taxpayer resources trying to prosecute "a valued
member of society, duly elected by the people, who uses cannabis
responsibly and moderately for sacramental purposes".