Policy

Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

Intersectoral Policy as at 14/09/2005

Key Principles

We believe that adults have the right to freedom of choice unless that choice harms or endangers other people, or our planet.

Current cannabis laws protect no one, least of all young New Zealanders. Any health and social risks that marijuana may have are not addressed or treated by driving use underground and encouraging the black market.

Prohibition undermines all proper authority, costs our society hundreds of millions of dollars, criminalises a vast number of individuals, and denies a remarkable sustainable resource (hemp).

Our policy of legal regulation reverses the damage and impacts positively across all areas of governance, ‘intersectorially’, in areas of health, education, justice, law and order, race relations, economy and environment.

Our party proposes a holistic, common sense solution to pollution, economic waste and social injustice. ALCP advocates social ecology- creating a harmonious community environment, with cannabis/hemp as an integral resource.

Principles that underpin our policy include equity, efficiency (including cost-effectiveness), harm reduction (acknowledging that use of recreational drugs is a widespread reality in NZ), and upholding of individual rights where these do not unreasonably impinge on others.

Policy Minimum Programme

That the possession, cultivation and use of pure cannabis and cannabis/hemp products be free from prosecution.

That provision be made to establish regulated R18 cannabis commerce, like alcohol and tobacco, but with no promotional aspects.

That provision be made to establish therapeutic (medicinal) applications of cannabis.

That full-scale cannabis-hemp production and utilisation be enabled. A high priority be given for the localised production of low cost biofuels from cannabis biomass.

That provision be made to expunge all cannabis convictions.

Education

We must more effectively discourage drug use amongst minors. Effective anti-drug education is impeded by the existing law (conclusion of Parlaiment's 1998 Health committee 'cannabis' inquiry). The current double standards-based system misinforms, alienates and fails our young people. Our policy specifies “adults only” with consistent enforcement. R18 regulation will deglamourise teen use.

Our policy will enable a non-threatening educational environment. Our schools and learning institutions should have an honest and credible basis for communication, without fear or prejudice.

ALCP advocates implementation of a tobacco, alcohol and cannabis authority (eg, a Drugs Policy Council) to fine tune the regulatory framework for recreational substances. This would focus on community and parental responsibility/ownership/involvement and awareness, with credible information about health and wellbeing.

Education and health sectors will benefit from diversion of resources currently spent counter-productively on prohibition.

Health

Our evidence-based policy follows harm minimisation principles (best practice). It specifies "adults only" R18 regulation, and provides for health support for those who run into problems with their cannabis use.

Hypocrisy currently impairs the credibility of public health promotion. Removal of double standards will greatly assist health promotion in general. Credible drug information will focus on harm reduction to minimise any use-related harm.

Our policy provides for home grown medicinal marijuana, as well as prescribed therapeutic cannabis preparations. Legalising will promote safe-use 'smoke-free' modes such as vaporization and mouth sprays.

ALCP policy re-introduces cannabis hemp for an organic and pollution free environment, and embraces the concept of clean and green “natural order.”

Our policy will put THC-free cannabis/hemp seed on the menu. The seed is nature's most nutritious food source, complete and balanced, providing essential fatty acids Omega 3, 6 and 9, plus vitamins and minerals.

NOTE: ALCP endorses the 1998 Health Select Committee Inquiry into the Mental Health Effects of Cannabis, which unanimously concluded that ‘based on the evidence received, we recommend that the Government review the appropriateness s of existing policy on cannabis use and reconsider the legal status of cannabis.’ The subsequent ‘Effective Cannabis Health Strategies and Legal Status’ inquiry (2000-2003) could find nothing good about prohibition, but MPs avoided resolution of cannabis legal status:

Page 58 of the Health Committee's 2003 report states: "Prohibition arguably limits use, limits supply and availability, and is consistent with the United Nations drug conventions, to which New Zealand is a signatory. However, the current high levels of use and the level of black market activity indicate that the current prohibition regime is not effective in limiting cannabis use. Prohibition results in high conviction rates for a relatively minor offence, which inhibits people’s education, travel and employment opportunities. Prohibition makes targeting education, prevention, harm minimisation, and treatment measures difficult because users fear prosecution. It also facilitates the black market and potentially exposes cannabis users to harder drugs.

In conclusion the 2003 Inquiry stated: "We agree that the aim of cannabis legislation needs to be focused on preventing young people from using cannabis, and protecting them from the harms associated with this controlled drug. However, we have not been able to agree on the most appropriate legal status of cannabis, and have made our separate recommendations regarding the best legislative options in the relevant sections of the report. Some of us think the Justice and Electoral Committee should further consider the issue of the most appropriate legal status of cannabis."

Family

Families are divided and relationships compromised by prohibition law. Official surveys indicate that, on average, every family in NZ has a cannabis user. Tens of thousands of otherwise law-abiding parents are cannabis consumers facing a difficult situation which can seriously hinder trust and honest communication within the family.

Prohibition manufactures distrust and, in extreme cases, mate wairua (sickness of the spirit) within New Zealand families. The double standard is damaging our young people because it has broken down the trust they might otherwise have in the system. Cannabis-related harms will be reduced under a system of legal regulation.

ALCP’s grow-your-own provision will allow families to take responsibility with all drugs, and replace youth mistrust with mutual community respect. Parents will be empowered with credible information to equip their children to cope with peer influence about drugs.

Economy

Prohibition is responsible for a very big black market in NZ. Globally the illicit drug market is estimated by the World Health Organisation to be as large as $500 Billion per year. Under a regulatory regime, those hundreds of millions of dollars currently misdirected to NZ prohibition interests - eg. law enforcement on the one hand and untaxed organised crime on the other - will be positively circulating in the community.

Legal cannabis commerce, (but without the promotional aspects of alcohol and tobacco), will create substantial economic benefits, eg. taxation revenue, carbon credits.

Cannabis agriculture for non-drug hemp products will provide employment and economic growth. This is impossible under current prohibition policies.

Law and Order

ALCP has the strongest law and order policy, because unlike the other parties we address both the black market status of cannabis, as well as the absolute failure of prohibition to limit supply and demand. With R18 legalisation NZ can expect a decrease in crime and fear in the community because of a return to credible, workable law.

By definition, criminalisation is self-perpetuating. It is creating crime, criminals and criminality on an unprecedented scale. Reliable research indicates there are as many as half a million consumers in NZ. Respect for rule of law has been compromised and dangerously eroded by this hypocritical and unsubstantiated criminal status.

By taking the criminality out of NZ’s most popular and prevalent illicit substance, police will be considerably freed up to contain and prevent real crime. Cannabis and 'hard drugs' markets will also be seperated.

Legal regulation will rebuild community tolerance, trust and respect. It will greatly reduce the fear-factor. Money currently misappropriated into crime creation via drug-law enforcement will be much better spent in the health and education sectors.

Legalising cannabis will create an environment where people are far more able and willing to co-operate with police.

Justice

Up to 20,000 people are convicted for cannabis offences every year in NZ. The unemployed, males and Maori are especially penalised by the law as it stands (Fergusson et al, CH&DS).

ALCP recognises the duty of Parliament to challenge injustice, and to break down prejudice and division. The Party advocates a full prohibition ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ commission in the interests of restorative justice.

Our policy recognises the importance of upholding individual rights where these do not unreasonably impinge on others.

Treaty of Waitangi

ALCP supports principles of partnership, tolerance and co-operation underpinning the treaty. The Treaty is acknowledged and supported in the Party’s foundation documents, March 1996. Our legal regulation policy promotes equitable law, self determination, and ‘capacity building’ for all.

Cannabis arrest rates for Maori are statistically 4 or 5 times higher than for non-Maori, even though cannabis use rates are at more or less the same level. This disproportional treatment pushes young Maori into alienation and criminality.

Environment and Energy

Hemp’s bulk fibre can be utilised for building materials, clothing, paper, plastic, textiles and notably as a renewable bio-fuel energy source. With cellulose yields greater than corn, maize and soya, cannabis-hemp provides an environmentally efficient resource in the age of ‘peak oil’ and climate change.

The crop also has drought and pest resistant properties. It is useful in preventing erosion, and soil amelioration in dairy farming (the principle contaminant of NZ groundwater is nitrate, which deep rooting hemp captures and renders bio-available).

Large scale reintroduction of hemp will help minimise greenhouse emissions, pollution, waste (eg. biodegradable packaging), and save forests.

Welfare

Legal regulation of cannabis will enable people to make positive, responsible lifestyle choices. Under the current system the alienation factor actually facilitates the dropout lifestyle, ie. non-participation in the community.

The hemp industry will provide employment incentives, especially in economically depressed areas of New Zealand where black-market cannabis is currently entrenched.

Defence

Organised crime and terrorism are aided and abetted by the international War on Drugs. Ending the NZ drug war on cannabis would be the single most important step we could take toward a safer world.

Our policy will re-allocate resources to strengthen our border security and civil defence.

Immigration

The Party has no particular position on immigration other than stating our general philosophy of inclusiveness and tolerance.

Cannabis offences in other jurisdictions should not be a barrier to people wishing to make a new life in NZ. The Shier deportation case (1999) exposed cruel injustice of this current restriction.