MarijuanaNews.com : Founder of New Zealand NORML — Now in Parliament Urges People Over 18 To Be Allowed To Grow And Possess Cannabis For Their Own Use. To Tour Campuses.

Posted February 18, 2000
See
New Zealand
NORML Founder Gets Great Publicity Wearing Hemp Suit
For Swearing In Ceremonies In Parliament. — 2 Articles

February 17, 2000
From New Zealand The Press
editorial@press.co.nz
http://www.press.co.nz/

‘GROW YOUR OWN’ PLEA

WELLINGTON –

Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos appealed in Parliament for people over 18 to be
allowed to grow and possess cannabis for their own use.

“New Zealand needs to get over its obsession with cannabis and get over the snigger
factor which makes rational debate on this issue so difficult,” Mr Tanczos said
yesterday.

“We have the highest recorded arrest rate for cannabis in the world, police spend
tens of millions of dollars arresting people for it, and, despite what they say, 85 per
cent of these are for simple personal possession.”

Mr Tanczos, a Rastafarian who has previously said he smokes cannabis for religious
reasons, told the House people did not get involved in cannabis law reform because they
wanted to smoke it. “Everyone in this country who wants to smoke cannabis already
does so,” he said.

“The illegal market is effectively subsidised by prohibition, the tens of
millions of dollars spent on policing prohibition go to ensure huge profits for organised
crime.”

He asked how young people were expected to respect the law when they were subjected to
random searches on the streets.

“At the same time, some members of this House have a reputation for excessive alcohol
consumption,” Mr Tanczos said. “In my short time in this
House I’ve seen people in this House drunk - drunk in charge of a country.”

February 18, 2000
From New Zealand The Press
editorial@press.co.nz
http://www.press.co.nz/

TANCZOS TO TOUR WITH CANNABIS MESSAGE

Green MP Nandor Tanczos will tour university campuses around the country during
the next two weeks to drum up support for the decriminalisation of cannabis and other
issues.

The tour, to universities and polytechnics in Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Hawkes Bay,
Wellington, Palmerston North and Hamilton, was also aimed at further developing the
Green’s relationship with young people, he said. A poll last week, which put nationwide
COLOR=”#ff0000″>support for the Greens at 7.1 per cent and the third highest out of all
political parties, showed the party had 21 per cent support in the 18-24 year age group -
level with National.
(MarijuanaNews note: This might get the politicians’ attention.)