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ALCP Challenges Government to show some spine
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Press Release: Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0808/S00321.htm

ALCP calls on the Labour-led government to include a question in the
next postal referendum, that asks New Zealanders to vote on the legality of cannabis.

ALCP challenges the Labour government to finally act on it's two Health
select Committees findings into the harms of cannabis, The 2003 cannabis inquiry received 532 written submissions, with 78 percent of those supported changes to the current way cannabis is managed. Only 17 percent supported the continuation of prohibition. The study concluded that the government "...should reconsider the legal status of cannabis."

ALCP Spokesperson, Steven Wilkinson says "This country has legalised
prostitution, homosexuality, and acknowledges same-sex marriages. It is time time to deal with society's last great hypocrisy, the prohibition

We must live in real world to fight drugs
Saturday August 23, 2008
by Paul Thomas

New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10528497

Paul Thomas: We must live in real world to fight drugs

As the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger" emphasises, records are made to be broken.

Back in 2005 Australian police cracked the one tonne barrier for ecstasy
seizures, prompting a federal minister to declare that a message had
been sent to drug traffickers.

Whatever it was, they didn't take much notice. This month the Aussies
raised the bar, announcing a 4.4 tonne haul. The politicians took a
different tack this time, claiming the world record seizure would save
Australia $1.6 billion in health and social costs. A more rigorous audit
might offset this saving against the cost of the investigation which
involved 400 police, 185,000 telephone intercepts and 10,000 hours of

Saturday Morning with Kim Hill
Saturday, 8am - Midday

Guest details for Saturday Morning 23 August 2008

9:05 Judge Jerry Paradis

Jerry Paradis retired as a judge for the Provincial Court of British Columbia in 2003. During his time on the bench, he dealt with over a thousand cases involving the possession, trafficking or production of drugs.

Perseverance leads to hemp approval
Otago Daily Times (Dunedin, New Zealand)
Tue, 19 Aug 2008
Glenn Conway

http://www.odt.co.nz/the-regions/south-otago/18447/perseverance-leads-he...

The first hemp crop to come from New Zealand seed will be grown in the
Catlins this summer in a move its backers believe could open up a new
lucrative option for New Zealand farmers.

Long-time industrial hemp campaigner Mack McIntosh has fought
officialdom for more than two years to get clearance to grow and market
the only New Zealand-manufactured hemp cultivar.

A letter recently arrived in his Tawanui mailbox, confirming the
Director-general of Health had approved his "Aotearoa 1" cultivar to be
used to grow hemp for industrial purposes.

He likened the news to winning his own Olympic gold medal.

It also means growers no longer have to import seed from Canada to grow
commercial hemp crops.

Civil Liberties Protest
August 1, 2008 - 5:35pm

Members of the University met to protest the use of police on Campus today.

As the protest for the group's civil liberties got underway, it became apparent that more than one cause was up for discussion.

click the link below to watch the video:
http://www.ch9.co.nz/node/9595

Protest groups clash at university
Sat, 2 Aug 2008
By Debbie Porteous

The 50 strong Civil Rights protest group with about 10 Christians trailing behind Larger Image

http://www.odt.co.nz/on-campus/university-otago/16015/protest-groups-cla...

About 60 people who joined a protest yesterday against the recent arrests on Otago University's campus of three political activists were themselves the target of a smaller group protesting the use of illegal drugs on campus.

The second group of about 10 people who held banners reading Free Speech, Not Drugs and chanted "We don't care, get off our campus, clear the air" said they were students opposed to people smoking marijuana on the university campus.

Student march: 'Let the silly buggers protest'
By MICHAEL FOX - Stuff.co.nz | Friday, 01 August 2008

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4639684a7694.html

An "attack on civil rights" has prompted angry Otago University students to protest today in response to the arrest of their outspoken student leaders.

Three students, associated with the legalise cannabis movement, were arrested on campus last month for charges ranging from possession of cannabis, possession of utensils, obstructing police and resisting arrest.

Heavy handed treatment of students

I have been reading with alarm the information on your website in regards to Abe Gray's arrest and the heavy-handed tactics being used by the university and police. It is incredibly disturbing that he has been treated like a dangerous criminal, being handcuffed (and being harmed as a result) and then thrown into a dirty cell. I have met Abe a few times whilst he was organising Cannabis Awareness Week and I found him to be hard working and committed to a belief that is not only of concern to those students who attend the university, but also of concern and importance to many of us in the wider community. And, in case you're wondering, I'm in my 50s so it is not just young people who are committed to ending prohibition of cannabis.