POT PARTY EYES GREENS

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party may dissolve this year and advise
supporters to vote Green instead, ALCP president Michael Appleby says.

Its election strategy would depend on the outcome of a parliamentary health
select committee inquiry into cannabis use and law reform, he said
yesterday. "If the select committee does enough, is it worthwhile
dis-establishing the party . . . and suggest people vote Green?"

ALCP polled 1.6 per cent of the vote in 1996 and 1 per cent in 1999 -
small, but it would help the Greens' election chances, he said. However,
the Greens would have to make cannabis law reform a higher priority than at
present to get any ALCP vote.

It would not be the first time the ALCP has worked with the Greens. Its
Coromandel candidate stood aside in 1999 to boost Green co-leader Jeanette
Fitzsimons' chances.

Green cannabis law reform spokesman Nandor Tanczos was on the ALCP list for
the 1996 election but left the party immediately afterwards.

Mr Tanczos said the Greens would welcome ALCP support, but he rejected Mr
Appleby's criticism the Greens were not doing enough on cannabis.

"It's one of the many important issues that we are dealing with. We face an
ecological crisis, to put (cannabis law reform) in perspective."

The Greens and ALCP support no penalty for simple personal use and
possession of cannabis for persons aged 18 and above. They expect the
select committee cannabis inquiry to recommend some sort of liberalisation
but believe Labour won't implement any changes before the election. The
select committee has received 562 submissions, and held a public hearing in
November.