Recent News

Wairarapa Times-Age 3 May 2019
Family First Comment: This is a typical offender who is rightly prosecuted for cannabis infringements. Not just consuming, but associated with other crimes and harm done to society.
That’s why the law is important, and why cannabis is both is a legal and a health issue.
www.saynopetopdope.nz

Three years jail for ‘deliberate’ and ‘flagrant’ offending

A Greytown man has been sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment for crashing into another vehicle twice in one day while driving under the influence, and for multiple cannabis growing operations.

Colin Trevor Jones appeared before Judge Jan Kelly in the Masterton District Court on Tuesday afternoon where he was sentenced for 10 charges which he had earlier pleaded guilty to, including two charges of driving in a dangerous manner, one of driving while impaired, and one of failing to comply with a driving ban.

He had previously been sentenced for eight other drink-driving or driving while impaired incidents.

The 51-year-old forestry worker and beekeeper also faced three cannabis cultivation charges, one of cannabis possession for supply, one of theft [for electricity valued over $1000] and one of resisting police arrest, relating to three separate search warrants carried out at his home which found cannabis growing operations after his arrest for the driving offences.

Shortly after 12.30pm on September 1 last year, Jones crashed into the back of the first car while it was stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing on State Highway 2 in Carterton.

His car was written off and the driver of the other vehicle left shaken.
READ MORE: https://times-age.co.nz/drugged-driving-drug-growing-stealing-electricity-resisting-arrest/

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Radio NZ News 5 May 2019
Family First Comment: “cannabis can’t be considered a medicine as it’s actually a product with multiple ingredients.”
Exactly. But drug advocates are using it as a smokescreen for legalisation.

Toxicologists are urging the government not to make special provisions for medicinal cannabis products and argue it should meet the same stringent standards as other medicines.

In a discussion paper published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, it urged for more caution to be taken, following the government recently passing a bill increasing access to medicinal cannabis.

The government now needs to determine the regulations for a Medicinal Cannabis Scheme.

The paper said public surveys show widespread support for increased access to medicinal cannabis, yet GPs and clinicians generally remain more reserved.

“We believe that part of this difference lies in the lack of clear public understanding of the term ‘medicinal cannabis’, and a relatively greater awareness by health professions of what generally constitutes a medicine,” it said.

One of the paper’s authors, head of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Otago University, Professor Michelle Glass said cannabis can’t be considered a medicine as it’s actually a product with multiple ingredients.

“A medicine is something that has been produced to a certain standard, so you know exactly what’s in it. You know how stable that compound is, how it should be stored. You know if it works and you have information about who should be avoiding it and what other medicines it interacts with,” she said.
READ MORE: https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/388501/health-experts-want-medicinal-cannabis-to-meet-same-standards-as-other-medicine

NewsHub 2 May 2019
Family First Comment: Interesting comments in the drug discussion, and concerns around “police discretion” related to the anti-smacking law!
“Police discretion in law has been contentious, particularly when it was included in former Green MP Sue Bradford’s controversial child discipline bill which was passed in Parliament in 2007. 
Police have been accused of too often referring child abuse cases through to the court to decide, rather than applying the discretion available, because of the sensitivity around family violence cases. New Zealand lawyer Mai Chen has pointed out in a legal analysis that the police discretion section of the 2007 anti-smacking law provides “little to no guidance as to how police should exercise its discretion”. Similar concerns were raised at the select committee on drug law reform, with Police Association President Chris Cahill saying there needed to be wider debate within the public.”

Paula Bennett has asked the Government if proposed drug law reforms are to appease the Green Party’s “incessant desire” for decriminalisation.

Bennett, the deputy National Party leader and spokesperson for drug reform, took aim at the Government in Parliament on Thursday over submissions made at select committee.

MPs were told on Wednesday that changes proposed in the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill would essentially decriminalise all drugs and make it difficult for police to prosecute for drug possession.

Bennett asked the Government why the Bill “codifies police discretion”, and suggested that it may have been included to appease the Green Party’s “incessant desire to decriminalise drugs”.

The Green Party has shown strong support for drug decriminalisation. The party’s spokesperson on drug law reform, Chlöe Swarbrick, has said it’s time for “evidence-based policy” that “prioritises compassion”.

Filling in for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Winston Peters told Bennett police discretion can be found “in a great number” of our laws, and said “we don’t want to dispute with a bunch of Philadelphia lawyers on the other side”.

Police discretion in law has been contentious, particularly when it was included in former Green MP Sue Bradford’s controversial child discipline bill which was passed in Parliament in 2007.

Police have been accused of too often referring child abuse cases through to the court to decide, rather than applying the discretion available, because of the sensitivity around family violence cases.

New Zealand lawyer Mai Chen has pointed out in a legal analysis that the police discretion section of the 2007 anti-smacking law provides “little to no guidance as to how police should exercise its discretion”.

Similar concerns were raised at the select committee on drug law reform, with Police Association President Chris Cahill saying there needed to be wider debate within the public.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/government-accused-of-appeasing-greens-incessant-desire-to-decriminalise-drugs.html

Otago Daily Times 3 May 2019
Family First Comment: “Patients were vulnerable and often immune compromised, so active ingredients in any medicine prescribed to them needed to be controlled and carefully labelled….. The quality control rigours for classification as a medicine . . . are safeguards that should not be compromised or redefined without a careful consideration of the consequences, many of which could be unintended.”
Exactly what we’ve been saying. www.saynopetodope.org.nz/medicinal

When the government finalises its medicinal cannabis scheme it needs to clearly define what “medicinal” cannabis is, University of Otago academics say.

The Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill, passed by Parliament in December, introduced an exception and a statutory defence for terminally ill people to possess and use illicit cannabis.

It also gave the Government a year to draft regulations for a medicinal cannabis scheme.

In the latest edition of the New Zealand Medical Journal, Otago academics Prof Michelle Glass and Associate Prof John Ashton, of  the departments of pharmacology and toxicology, have argued for cannabis-based medicines to be subject to the same rigorous standards as other medicines.

“Cannabis is not a single entity but a diverse range of related substances and products all referred to as ‘cannabis’ in popular usage,” they said.

“Which of these may be considered a medicine depends on precisely how the product is constituted.”

Medicines worked by delivering precisely measured combinations of chemicals to produce a therapeutic effect, the authors said.

Cannabis, on the other hand, could be one of several plant species and the amount of its active ingredients cannabidiol (CB) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could vary widely.

“Uniformity is a central feature of medicines, but concentrations of CB and THC in cannabis plants vary widely.
READ MORE: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/rigorous-standards-urged-medicinal-cannabis

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NewsTalk ZB 1 May 2019
Family First Comment: “Several submitters, including the Law Society and the Police Association, told the committee that the wording in the bill would effectively decriminalise all drug use and possession because it would be easy to argue in court that every user would benefit more from a therapeutic approach than a prosecution. Association president Chris Cahill told the committee that the bill was effectively telling police to move from a default presumption to prosecute to one of non-prosecution for all drug users, which would lead to a “dramatic” decline in police charges…. it was an issue that should have wider public debate rather than be “slipped in” to a bill that was primarily about synthetic drugs.”
#SoftOnDrugs

The Government says its bill to make drug use a health issue is not default decriminalisation, even though a select committee was told today that prosecutions for drug use or possession will seldom if ever be brought under the bill.

And while there appears to be broad support for a health focus, Parliament’s health select committee was told that there would be no point without a massive injection of resources for heath and addiction services across the whole country.

The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, currently before the committee, is the Government’s response to the synthetic cannabis crisis and would classify synthetic drugs AMB-FUBINACA and 5F-ADB as Class A drugs; dealers of Class A drugs face a lifetime in prison.

It would also codify police discretion into law, clarifying that a prosecution for drug use or possession – regardless of which drug – should only be pursued if it was in the public interest, taking into account whether a “health-centred or therapeutic approach would be more beneficial”.

Several submitters, including the Law Society and the Police Association, told the committee that the wording in the bill would effectively decriminalise all drug use and possession because it would be easy to argue in court that every user would benefit more from a therapeutic approach than a prosecution.

Association president Chris Cahill told the committee that the bill was effectively telling police to move from a default presumption to prosecute to one of non-prosecution for all drug users, which would lead to a “dramatic” decline in police charges.

While the association did not have a position for or against decriminalisation, he said it was an issue that should have wider public debate rather than be “slipped in” to a bill that was primarily about synthetic drugs.
READ MORE: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/larry-williams-drive/audio/chris-cahill-police-association-not-pleased-with-discretionary-approach-to-drug-use/

Drug law change ‘goes too far’ – Police Association
Radio NZ News 1 May 2019
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/388222/drug-law-change-goes-too-far-police-association

Advertising Standards Authority rejects complaints about anti-cannabis billboard
NewsHub 30 April 2019 
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected complaints about an anti-cannabis billboard.

Family First New Zealand funded the billboard, which displayed on a building beside the Southern Motorway in Auckland.

It reads “You can’t legalise marijuana and promote mental health,” in large letters.

Underneath this, it reads “Don’t legalise.”

On Tuesday, the Complaints Board ruled the advertisement “did not contain anything indecent, exploitative or degrading, did not cause fear or distress and was socially responsible.”

The ASA also ruled the billboard was unlikely to mislead consumers.

A previous billboard from Family First NZ received multiple complaints earlier this year.

This billboard was emblazoned with the slogan “Marijuana has a kids menu,” with photographs of various cannabis paraphernalia, some of which appeared to look like lollies.

Seven complaints were received about this advert, with concern being the billboard was misleading, unsubstantiated and played on fear.

In February, ASA ruled the billboard did not contain anything indecent, or degrading. It also ruled the advert didn’t cause fear or distress, and was socially responsible.

“Drug use is a major health issue, and that’s why the role of the law is so important,” said National Director of Family First NZ Bob McCoskrie in a statement on Tuesday.

“The public of New Zealand are not getting this information. Our billboards are designed to raise these inconvenient truths – and to provoke debate and discussion.”

Family First NZ is an organization that seeks to promote “strong families, marriage and the value of life.”

The organisation is vehemently against the legalisation of cannabis, saying it would be “foolish.”

“The illegality of the drug and other drugs is vital as we fight the devastation its use causes on the users, their families and society in general,” they said in a statement in February.

Family First NZ also led the opposition to the 2007 anti-smacking law, and the 2013 same sex marriage bill.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/04/advertising-standards-authority-rejects-complaints-about-anti-cannabis-billboard.html

There’s nothing funny about today’s highly potent marijuana. It killed my son.
USA Today 28 April 2019
Family First Comment: “They clearly do not understand how the marijuana industry has irresponsibly manipulated pot into dangerously high levels of potency. My son could explain it to them. Or he could if he were still with us. “I want to die,” he wrote before hanging himself at the age of 31. “My soul is already dead. Marijuana killed my soul + ruined my brain.””

Modern medical marijuana is much more potent than your father’s pot brownies of the 1970s, and that potency is taking a toll on mental health.

As attorneys argued over a section of an Arizona law that differentiates between marijuana and cannabis, the state’s Supreme Court justices joked about baking pot brownies in their kitchens.

They clearly do not understand how the marijuana industry has irresponsibly manipulated pot into dangerously high levels of potency.

My son could explain it to them. Or he could if he were still with us.

“I want to die,” he wrote before hanging himself at the age of 31. “My soul is already dead. Marijuana killed my soul + ruined my brain.”

Andy had been the class clown. He made parties come alive. He helped friends through tough times and served with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq.

Then he became addicted to pot, using a medical marijuana card that enabled him to buy enough pot for up to 10 joints a day. That would keep anyone baked all day. He was hospitalized in five mental health hospitals and did two stints of court-ordered mental health treatment.

He told me that to live, he needed to quit marijuana. He just couldn’t do it.

The marijuana industry doesn’t like to acknowledge people like my son, dismissing his case as an aberration. But he is not alone, and new research shows the toll marijuana takes.
READ MORE: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/04/28/medical-marijuana-arizona-supreme-court-thc-potency-column/3587406002/

NewsHub 21 April 2019
Family First Comment: Maybe they just smoke weed instead of eating….
“No one should start smoking weed just to lose weight, she warned. There’s too many health concerns around cannabis that far outweigh the potential positive, yet modest, effects it has on weight gain.”

Despite their reputation for getting the ‘munchies’, people who regularly toke weigh less than others, a new study has found.

Researchers examined weight data belonging to more than 33,000 people over three years, and found not only did marijuana users gain less weight than others in that time, they weighed on average just under a kilogram less overall.

“We found that users, even those who just started, were more likely to be at a normal, healthier weight and stay at that weight,” said study leader Omayma Alshaarawy of Michigan State University.

“Only 15 percent of persistent users were considered obese compared to 20 percent of non-users.”

She said while the difference – about 900g – isn’t much, it showed up “in more than 30,000 people with all different kinds of behaviours”.

It’s not clear why, but weight paranoia is one explanation.

“It could be something that’s more behavioural, like someone becoming more conscious of their food intake as they worry about the munchies after cannabis use and gaining weight,” said Dr Alshaarawy.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2019/04/marijuana-users-weigh-less-despite-the-munchies-study.html

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NZ Herald 17 April 2019
Family First Comment: Thoughtful column from National’s Paula Bennett
“The marijuana of tomorrow won’t look anything like the marijuana of today. It will be in liquid form, consumed via drinks and food, not smoked, and probably marketed to younger people. The evidence tells us marijuana can have significant effects on the growth and refinement of brain functions relating to emotion and memory development. There are also established links between usage and mental health concerns, such as depression, schizophrenia and psychosis.”

COMMENT:
Since taking on the role of the National Party spokeswoman for drug reform I have discovered from the sometimes very personal messages that everyone’s experience with drugs is different.

There are those who assure me they have smoked marijuana daily and have been successful and so far lived a good life. Others have told me of the devastating effects and their quest to rid themselves of the addiction. Some have been angry that I dared pose questions, others have been grateful that I do. Welcome to the world of an MP.

I have also noticed many people mixing up medicinal cannabis and the binding referendum the Prime Minister has called on legalising marijuana at the next election.

I support medicinal cannabis, as do most parliamentarians. But this referendum is quite different. We do not know what the question will be and what we will be signing ourselves up for.

We deserve to know what it will mean to say yes to the legalisation of recreational marijuana. How will a market for it operate? Will marijuana be commercially available? Who will be able to sell it? Will it be big corporations or local not for profits? What will the legal age be?

These are just a few of the questions that need to be addressed. Time is ticking by. It took Canada and Columbia years to get legislation done. Will we see legislation before we vote in the referendum? Who is working on it and how will there be time for the public engage in the process?

The marijuana of today is not the same as the marijuana I tried in the 80s. It is far more potent with much higher THC levels.

The marijuana of tomorrow won’t look anything like the marijuana of today. It will be in liquid form, consumed via drinks and food, not smoked, and probably marketed to younger people.

The evidence tells us marijuana can have significant effects on the growth and refinement of brain functions relating to emotion and memory development. There are also established links between usage and mental health concerns, such as depression, schizophrenia and psychosis.

While I support a health-based approach to drug users, the Government’s latest Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill is effectively decriminalisation of all drugs. This is legislation currently being debated and the public aren’t aware of it.

A lot of people wrote to tell me alcohol is just as bad, if not worse, than marijuana. I think they might be right, so shouldn’t we learn something from that? We have reformed our liquor legislation numerous times and still people suffer from alcoholism, die on our roads and beat each other up when drunk, and we think legalising marijuana will fix drug harm.

Equally the status quo doesn’t seem right. I don’t think convicting someone for smoking a joint makes sense. I don’t particularly care if adults choose to recreationally use marijuana, they shouldn’t have to feel like criminals and worry they may be convicted.

If we collectively agree there are problems with drug harm, shouldn’t we debate solutions instead of leaping to legalisation? Will the drug addict get better because it’s legal to consume marijuana?

Even in countries and states that have either decriminalised or legalised marijuana there are huge differences in opinion. That doesn’t mean we ignore it, but it does mean we progress with caution.

I think this is a really important debate for us as a country to have, and it can’t be done by stealth through a single sentence in a bill aimed at addressing issues with synthetics. I don’t want us to look back and wonder what happened because we weren’t given the right information in time for us to have a mature debate on the pros and cons and know what we are saying yes or no to.

British citizens had no idea what saying yes to Brexit meant and look at how that debate is going. This is the Prime Minister’s referendum on legalising marijuana and both she and her Government have an obligation to let us know exactly what we are signing up for.

• Paula Bennett is National’s spokesperson on drug reform.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12222771&ref=twitter

Media Release: SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) 11 April 2019
Family First Comment: “Lawmakers in states considering legalisation must look at these numbers, consider the risk of future tragic circumstances in the workforce, and ask themselves if the juice is worth the squeeze. Do we really think our country will benefit from our workforce becoming increasingly more impaired? It is time to end this failed experiment of pot legalisation.”

Today, an analysis of 10 million drug samples by Quest Diagnostics found that states that have “legalized” the use of marijuana have seen massive increases in workforce positivity since legalization. Oregon has seen a 63% increase, Nevada has seen a 55% increase, and Colorado has seen a 47% increase. All states that have implemented legal sales far outstrip the national average of 2.3%. Overall workplace positivity rates rose 10% last year while positivity rates in safety-sensitive workers, such as airline pilots and nuclear power plant employees, increased 5%.

“While rates of drug positivity have mostly fallen over the last few decades, marijuana use has risen as legalization efforts have perpetuated the idea that pot use is safe, and state sanctioned,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration. “These numbers are even more disturbing when one takes into consideration the fact that many employers are beginning to forego drug testing of their employees as drug use becomes more widespread.”

Furthermore, Quest Diagnostics noted that 4.4% of the samples contained traces of both legal and illegal substances such as marijuana, prescription opioids and other drugs. This is the highest rate of drug positivity since 2004 and continues a six-year upward trajectory in marijuana positivity in the U.S. workforce.

“Our in-depth analysis shows that marijuana is not only present in our workforce, but use continues to increase,” said Barry Sample, PhD, senior director, science and technology for Quest Diagnostics in a press release. “As marijuana policy changes, and employers consider strategies to protect their employees, customers and general public, employers should weigh the risks that drug use, including marijuana, poses to their business.”

“Lawmakers in states considering legalization must look at these numbers, consider the risk of future tragic circumstances in the workforce, and ask themselves if the juice is worth the squeeze,” continued Dr. Sabet. “Do we really think our country will benefit from our workforce becoming increasingly more impaired? It is time to end this failed experiment of pot legalization.”
https://learnaboutsam.org/breaking-new-study-highlights-massive-increase-in-workplace-marijuana-positivity-rates-in-legal-states/