Candidates '05

Jason Baker-Sherman, Dunedin North electorate candidate

Forty-something musician, solo dad of one, and 5 year veteran of writing letters to editors, who loves reading, puzzles, playing sport with his 9-year old son and going on adventures with their dog.

"In 2000 my son's teenaged half-sister came home with an economics assignment and one choice was the economics of legalising cannabis. I helped her gather information at the public library and became aware of their collection of books on the subject. As a result I came to the same conclusion that many of us have: that prohibition is an enormously expensive, unjust waste of the Government's resources that fails in its objective, and that it also deprives us of the economic benefits of the hemp industry.

"I also became aware of the drug use hypocrisy within our high schools as a result of discovering that the world of the teenaged cigarette smoker is no different to that of any drug: they would "deal" in cigarettes to support their own habits and ask adults to buy cigarettes for them. I had the opportunity to attend a police "Drug Education Evening" which made me aware of police attitudes toward drug users and also of the incredible ignorance that people had about drug use.

"Eventually I came to understand that I was actually OK, that I was a good parent who cared about his kids and that it was prohibition that was the source of my problems because it didn't allow me to be who I was. This made me feel much better about myself but now my problem was much greater: the abolition of cannabis prohibition. Being a vocal supporter of cannabis law reform made me aware of massive prejudice against cannabis users or "druggies" as we are generically called. And even though the Government knows that cannabis prohibition is wrong it still refuses to change the law.


"Writing and giving my submission to the Health Select Committee's 2001 inquiry into The Minimisation of the Use and Harmfulness of Cannabis was a cathartic experience. I discovered that prohibition affected my life, and that of my family, far more than even I had previously realised, and that society's tolerance of alcohol abuse, ie that binge drinking is "normal", had negatively affected our lives.

"Three months ago a letter to the editor of the ODT applauding United Future's sabotaging any chance for drug laws based on science inspired me to restart writing letters in support of cannabis law reform.

When I read the transcript of Rod Donald's (Green party co-leader) Agenda interview in mid-July I began to suspect the worst about the Green party and their support for CLR. A week later Nandor Tanczos unveiled his private member's bill seeking to partially decriminalise cannabis use. As a result of my criticism of the "Instant Fines" bill the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis party invited me to go on their Party List in August. Inspired by the ALCP's confidence in me, one hour before the deadline for candidates to enrol for Election 2005 I found myself registering to stand as their candidate for the Dunedin North electorate. A date with destiny or a sign of madness? [No, Jason you're just braver than most, say the ALCP]
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