Medical marijuana for some or medical marijuana for all?

A couple of weeks a back I was visiting a psychiatrist in Hamilton seeking an assessment and a form of supervision to bounce around my ideas. He finds me quite interesting as I discussed my study of cannabis and post graduate research and he urged me to continue my study and complete my masters degree. I informed him that higher academic study may get me heard at a higher academic level but I am probably past thirsting for knowledge. I'm too comfortable at home with my grandson and preparing for a new baby. A dog or fur baby. He also said he meets once a month with a few other professionals each month and they discuss issues, including cannabis. So it was pretty good. On Sunday night there was a great medicinal story on cannabis about dravets syndrome and how one mother has been giving her child cannabis oil, extract of CBD. This is as illegal as any other use of cannabis and she has risked both her arrest and possible involvement of CYfs with the fact she is giving an illegal preparation to her child. This Mother, like Rose Renton has been operating in secret and isolation until now. There is also a bit of a split occurring and factions within medical marijuana and the medical users community. Green cross has been around in New Zealand in several locations with several different founding members still working hard for the cause. The most well known and out spoken was Billy McKee and Neville Yates and Danueil clarke before him. Billy McKee follows the traditional green cross recognition of the whole plant and a persons right to grow their own. A split and a bit of strengthening of the GreenCross and medical model arrived when the synthetic cannabis hit the streets. Any person worth their salt, user or grower of cannabis instantly disliked this product and saw it as unsafe and not part of a cannabis law reform debate. This is a corporate takeover and development of a new product to fit an existing market. Pure business and no bottom line, no real health concerns. Then Sativex and GE pharmaceuticals entered the New Zealand market. dr David Hadorn one of the originals with GW lives in New Zealand. sativex needs a specialist to prescribe and is prohibitively expensive. Dearer than buying several ounces per month , kind of expensive. It may be a great product if you have lots of money but not many of the green cross patients I know are financially able to afford this. in fact if you know a bit about about cannabis use in New Zealand you will know that the financial situation after a cannabis conviction is unlikely to be too rosey. Like most people who are sick or invalid they are not working, so their income is meagre. The number of difficulties I have encountered when trying to organise a medical marijuana gathering has been very difficult due to lack of mobility and lack of funds. So the split between those who want to follow the current medical model and have a doctor prescribe and those who want to grow their own plants is mostly due to affordability.

Cannabis and our health system. And me.

Cannabis is recognised as medicine in California since 1996. Since that time another twenty or so other States in America have also legalised the use of medical marijuana. Two states have gone even further and have legalised cannabis for recreational use for those over the age of 18. In New Zealand we have had several high profile cases in the court trying to get the use of medical cannabis tried but all of these seem to have resulted in severe penalties for the accused. I know of a one case where an exemption to use cannabis was given but the case was in Christchurch and being a health related issue I do not want to comment. I lived in the United States for several years in the late 1980's and in that time began to understand more about the uses of cannabis. I got into education and became a teacher and then left teaching when I discovered that over a thousand school aged children are excluded from school for cannabis use. This figure astounded me. I could not believe that excluding children from school for cannabis. It's always cannabis, never smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol which are also prohibited to people under 18 while not illegal . The harms from smoking and drinking far out weigh any cannabis use. Plus the stupidest part of expelling children from school is in doing this the youth have an extra 6 hours a day to partake in their drug of choice. Keeping children in the school system is a protective factor in their future outcome. I seriously cannot understand why we as educators understand rewarding good behaviour and yet understanding youth, being expelled from school is almost a reward, if you can prevent your parents from knowing, even better. Being bad is kudos. Keeping these pupils in a school environment and working hard to understand what lead to the cannabis use and where did it come from? Exploring this in a sensitive manner can be a turning point for a young person. The opposite is the angry man who was kicked out of school, never went back and is still smoking cannabis with the same attitude as a 15 year old, now at 40 or 50 years of age. Behaviour can become entrenched through the injustice of a situation. The medical marijuana situation or lack of one in New Zealand is what makes me consider leaving New Zealand to go back to America is very appealing. I have spent a decade conducting qualitative research from cannabis users and medical users who are very knowledgeable. I find it disappointing that we lack a Minister of Health willing to follow the lead America has over many countries with safe access to cannabis. Safe access means more than buying cannabis in a safe environment that isn't gang related or a tinny house. A safe access to cannabis may include a number of different controls or regulations surrounding the sale of cannabis. Guaranteed weight is the biggest problem in buying cannabis in New Zealand. The price of cannabis may be as high as $500.00 an ounce when there is high demand but although an ounce is a common weight when buying a supply of medical marijauana but often under weight bags are common. Smaller bags of cannabis either a hundy or a fifty has no guaranteed weight . The dollar value is set and the buyer takes it or leaves it. A tinny isn't likely to be medical grade marijuana and being wrapped in foil as they often are you can't see what you are buying but they are likely to be less than 1 gram for $20 or even $25.00. The quality is unlikely to be consistent and may be poor with leaf, seeds or stalks. In contrast to the street sale of cannabis, a medical marijuana dispensary requires several things. ID is the first. An age restriction of 21 was not unusual in America and I'd must be produced without a medical card. The marijuana for sale in a medical dispensary is on display and named and the person behind the counter is knowledgeable about the medicinal properties of the differnt strains. Some cannabis is good for uplifting a low mood or low energy and other strains can be for pain relief or even sleep. It is a wonderful smelling plant when growing and has a pungent aroma when smoked. Many health professionals get bothered about the smoking of cannabis and see it as a pathway to lung disease and heart problems as well as mental health problems with the most often touted is the link between cannabis use and schizophrenia. Just as many studies show no causal link or even correlation between the two. I have worked in mental health and on a methadone programme while training. Addiction and depression were two of the areas I felt most confused about as I had been diagnosed with depression and prescribed Prozac in 1989 while living in Maryland USA. I also saw an amazing psychiatrist who recommended me to reads a book by another doctor called the Road less travelled. Dr Scott Peck. I gained a great deal of insight into my feelings and low mood and we agreed to call my depression homesickness and I left my husband and returned to New Zealand. As soon as I stepped of the plane in New Zealand my depression disappeared. From that point on I became quite sceptical about the depression is a disease when my disease didn't step of the plane. I hated taking antidepressants and didn't get any real lasting benefit from them either. I know what happiness is and I know what makes me happy. I have always known, it's the same things at five and fifty in my case. I love being outdoors, I love summer and clear beaches. I love horses and farms and occasional trips to the horse races. I love coffee and I love cake. I love autumn leaves and bonfires. I love fire works and gardening. I love fruit picked of a tree and eaten . I also love cannabis. I didn't at 5 or even the first time I tried it. But as part of my social circle cannabis was a big element. When I couldn't access cannabis in America I developed depression perhaps and going back to New Zealand aliviated that problem addiction or depression? One thing for sure, antidepressants didn't make me happy. My depression is always a result of a stuck thought pattern. Instead of learning skills to cope with rumination I developed a run away technique. When I got stuck in a problematic situation I had only one and I moved. If it was a job, I quit, if it was a relationship , I ended it and moved. I trained as an addiction counsellor and worked on a methadone programme. It was working with these really "unwell " people that I got confused again. These people in almost every instance had developed drug habits that grew out of coping mechanisms for dealing with trauma. Others developed an addiction to pain relief after an accident. These were people who had best friends die in front of them, had grown up with violence or abuse,some had discovered dead bodies of the parents or child. Such sad and tragic things had happened that anyone would wonder , how can I live with this? Addiction was an escape, seeking drugs or money or gambling stops the thinking or flashbacks,yay- no memories. I found much of the behaviour quite understandable. Harder to understand was the shaming and way we view addiction and yet even the criteria for addiction and drug dependency varies. I felt that much of the health system is more schizoid and delusional than many sick people. I say this because of the blatant chosen ignorance about medical marijauana despite thousands of research articles and just it being such common knowledge and common practice in eastern medicine. When dealing with mental health professionals in New Zealand almost all take the view that cannabis use is bad for mental health. This flys in the face of research on Post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Ptsd is the same as shell shock and the phenomenon of traumaed men returning from Vietnam was resulting in a spiked incidence of alcoholism , depression and suicides. This was not the fitting behaviour of trained soldiers. Several doctors introduced cannabis as a means of reducing the alcohol consumption and the mental health of the veterans improved. The physical health of the men improved as the cannabis did more than elevated their moods, it helped with sleep disorders and pain. In all it was a remarkable result. Here in New Zealand any use of cannabis is stigmatised. Most health professionals assume it dangerous to health and that is why it is illegal. If you use cannabis daily you are labelled a person with a Substance abuse problem. The next thing is you will promptly be prescribed drugs to help. Help what ? Using cannabis didn't make you a sick person. No one seems to grasp the fact that prescription meds are drugs with instructions to take daily or 4 hourly or as required and often supplied at 3 months at a time. Three months cannabis for a person who has pain and difficulty sleeping may use a large amount of cannabis. A three month supply of cannabis is likely to cost over a thousand dollars if at a minimal dose of a gram per day was being used.

Ministry of Health investigates Medical Cannabis

Mp Peter Dunne is at it again. Once again a slew of lies are being emitted. Ross bell of the New Zealand Drug Foundation fears that information may have been outdated.?!? California , one flight away has had medical marijuana since 1996 and a federally provided marijuana programme supplying a number of patients. There is no shortage of information available with 20,000 published articles on medical marijuana online. The New Zealand drug Foundation published their own literature review in 2006 and followed current New Zealand practiCe rather than being bold enough to suggest time for a real change. MP Peter Dunne was quoted and made a written comment that, "medical marijuana is garage". (2002) This was his response to a terminally ill man who along with another man set up the first compassionate care club dedicated to getting medical marijuana support for patients and doing extensive research both from medical use and also one person studied law. This was called Green Cross. it is not a marijuana dispensary it was for sharing information and gaining support for the hiv positive community who experience severe nausea as a side effect of the medication. In the Herald this week Peter Dunne , our associate minister of health for about a Millenia, was quoted again as saying, "For those suffering from such ailments I have enormous sympathy ... The evidence ( supplied by officials) However has been underwhelming. Well I wonder what your justification of making a comment that medical marijuana is garbage and then go on to ignore all medical cannabis forward movement but have support for the psychoactive. SubStance bill. A bill clearly almost no MP read or followed the implications and herbal highs were never mainstream. A bit like the nos phase. for a a few giddy seconds ignorant MPs signed a bill that they thought would take the general population forward and be safer when it was the exact opposite. Mr Dunne has made all sorts of excuses in holding New Zealand back from catching up with the relaxation of the prohibition of cannabis and the development of a legal and regulated cannabis industry as seen in Colarado, and California and Washington with remarkable success and rapid law changes being made. He needs to have a critical eye watch him as I think he is devious and dishonest. Cannabis law reform is 40 years of protest and the chief constant has been mr Dunne despite changes of leadership within Parliament, cannabis law reform has languished. As a person who has studied drug abuse and also been to America to study how cannabis is used in America in a medical setting it is obvious he is detrimental to gaining medical marijuana while he has a seat in the beehive. What irks me the most about Mr Dunnes attitude is that is disrespects the sick , the vulnerable and children who are routinely using cannabis overseas for neurological illness that cause seizures and other spastic like difficulties. His attitude is so pompous it says- convince me, as I am the powerful man to decide thIs matter . What he lacks is any sense of compasSion to the people who use cannabis and relieve a better quality of life. The benefits of medical marijuana are not given enough importance and it is does not to be screeds of heavy medical jargon. As a person who has trained to assist people manage their drug use I support any person who uses cannabis to improve their quality of life. Cannabis boosts appetite. Those munchies are not a joke but can be a life saver for those affected by nausea and eating disorders. One of the proven benefits of cannabis is sleep. Have too much cannabis and you will fall asleep. Not fall unconscious. Patient centred treatment is the gold standard of care. My belief is if a person has been using cannabis and feels a benefit it is a good thing. If a person has an illness and wants to try cannabis, they should not fear the law. The law is there to protect people from harm and currently the law is harming those 25,000 people arrested for cannabis use every year.

Why Dakta Green and the Daktory Three should be found innocent of any crime.

The slang saying goes, "No Victim, No Crime. Cannabis use in New Zealand in this year of 2015 should not be a crime. I caught Dakta Green in an unguarded moment and I was shocked to see his usual confidence missing. The thought of going to jail is not a pleasant one for a 60'something. Nor is Dakta Green's fiance Gizi doing well. She already went to jail for 9 weeks on an illegal search and arrest. She made bail and has been compliant the whole time. Dakta Green and his partner can no longer reside in their building nor can they operate their cannabis club. As a person who often visited the Daktory to gather research I was able to complete my Post graduate study in health science and write about cannabis clubs in Holland and around the world. I also can speak with authority using my notes gained from observational visits to the daktory. The first thing you noticed about the Daktory, was the cavernous size of the old automotive warehouse and the smell of cannabis. I was still living in Christchurch completing a post graduate degree in health studies. I worked at an addiction treatment centre but my independent study topic was cannabis use in New Zealand. I met Dakta Green in 2006 at a norml function or AGM and then was fascinated by the daktory idea. The Daktory took on board the same set of safety rules that dutch cannabis cafes used. small size of baggie only. set price per gram 5 gram max No alcohol or other drugs R 18. I think having a better cafe and regular employment for staff, with a better standard of presentation and customers bringing their own is probably the only model that New Zealand can expect to see for a few years if the court punishes Dakta Green for running a safe alternative to drinking. New Lynn is a suburb located in the west where very strict alcohol restrictions apply. The Portage Licenicing trust control the supply of alcohol and alcohol is not sold in super markets , there are very few bars and all the bottle stores are part of a chain. Young people typically pre-load in Avondale, New lynn, Henderson and Te Atatu before racing down the motor way into the city. The Daktory grew and as it grew in popularity I never saw any violence. With no alcohol consumed in the Daktory or sold at the Daktory no drunks were admitted either. There was a range of drinks and snacks for sale and the people were happy to buy lollies and talk and play pool . It was a safe environment and as a female it was a safe environment free from drunken sexual leering or banter. Usually it was quiet enough to have a conversation although there were dj's sometimes and also movie nights. I don't know what the Judge is thinking or how he will react. I know that Dakta Green has an excellent lawyer. I wasn't able to be in Auckland last week or come to court to show my support. I heard that many else thought that their solidarity would be done by someone else. I think all the people that visited the Daktory and saw the what the future of cannabis clubs look like, need to jog that memory and pay your respects to Dakta Green next week as he sits in court. Dakta Green has been a unique and passionate advocate for cannabis law reform in his own steadfast and committed way for years. Many have supported him along the path of this journey. Two others are also in court. No one should be in court for cannabis offences because cannabis should not be an offence. The use of cannabis is legal if i take a flight West to Australia or East to California. It is only a stubborn right wing government and politicians distaste to deal with the uncomfortable through relaxing of laws surrounding drug use. It isn't only the politician who is reserved about promoting cannabis law reform. I think that the tobacco lobby and the liquor industry are against any possible product that affects their profits margins. I am certain big Pharma will not be wanting to see people stop using their prescribed meds in order to go with the way they feel using cannabis. Feelings that are demonstrated in thousands of medical studies showing that cannabis is beneficial for multiple conditions. The most common are sleeplessness and insomnia, anorexia and pain relief. Why would any just and humane society sentence an old man to prison for selling a product only adults could access and then only if they wanted to. None of the people who went to that Daktory and consumed cannabis should feel any less guilty than Dakta Green or collectively you are all guilty of his crime. Not supporting Dakta Green in court this week is selfish and mean. Dakta Green deserves a rally of unequal support. This man is a legend and equivalent to status to an all black coach. He gave the people of Auckland a club. A club to allow the safe use of cannabis and free from gangs or intimidation Dakta Green should also be noted for the Armistice tour from Waiatangi, and the small posse who protested outside Parliament with a white flag- Asking for an end to the drug war and peace. He also took the bus Mary Jane to 42 cities in New Zealnd. He gave some hope to the people of Christchurch after the second earth quake and was there, in Timaru for local man Peter Davies who grew cannabis for medicine for his wheel chair bound partner. Tracey has only recently passed a way. We held an all night vigil for them outside the court to protest this injustice. We cannot give up the fight. No patient should die waiting for cannabis and Dakta Green should not be fearing a prison sentence for his project which did only good for this community. As an AOD counsellor, I had an informal discussion with police about the people who visit the Daktory, are a lot different to those leaving bars. For one they dont urinate or vomit. they don't leave empty bottles to break or cans to pick up. They don't fight each other or make loud noises. There has never been a sexual assault. The police wouldn't confirm my explanation for a lowered crime rate. but I hope that justice is served and the beginning of the end of the war on people has begun. I hope Dakta Green walks free.

Andrew Little and Labour are wrong about cannabis

A decade ago, a group in Christchurch looked into the issue of drug testing in the work place, and in particular looked at the unfairness of the pre-employment test. A better and more accurate test to prevent injuries would be using a breatha-lyser for alcohol. Not so long ago a more broad based form of drug testing was to take place for all suitable job applicants on WINZ benefits. Again the value of this practice versus the cost and benefits of the exercise see only the tester benefiting. Failing a drug test because you have cannabis or other drugs in your system does not make you a bad employee. Cannabis is a drug that is remains in low non-active levels in the blood system for weeks. This does not mean you are impaired or stoned. It may mean you went to a party last weekend and shared a joint or it may mean you are a regular cannabis user and see it valuable for treating your illness. This is why cannabis is a health issue not a criminal issue for many medical marijuana users in New Zealand. The media is particularly bad at reporting numbers as facts where as they may show nothing. A recent coroners report found that 40% of the quad bike accidents on farms were stoned. This is untrue and cannot be claimed. What the truth is and should be reported as such, that the Coroners report showed some cannabis was present in the system. There needs to be a scale to measure what levels are indicative of use within the past 1 or 2 hours. Last nights cone before bed is not the reason the quad bike caused a death. It may be the rider was not wearing any safety gear or protective helmet. In Canada it has been unlawful to drug test workers as it does not measure impairment and is deemed an abuse of your human rights. I think to claim to be pro-work party that Labour stands for the worker, a policy such as not looking at the decriminalisation of cannabis and it's subsequent law changes is a step in the wrong direction. If you are not moving forward it's maintaining the status quo which is going backward while others move forward. As a person looking at a cannabis charge I am not feeling like a criminal or even a harm doer. My use of cannabis is my choice. As an educated drug counsellor I can describe what safe cannabis use looks like in America where it is legal. I can see no evidence why New Zealand should not develop a legal cannabis industry. When the leader of the Opposition publicly states that the Labour party will not be relaxing any cannabis laws I feel ill. It seems to me there is a lack of compassion and understanding what the rest of the world is rediscovering about the medical uses of cannabis.To be so blunt takes away the hope the a growing number of parents are needing with exemptions to the current law which prevents the use of medical marijuana. Why not allow people to use cannabis. Why not allow sick children to use cannabis for epilepsy under medical guidance? What is the point of not allowing people to grow their own cannabis if it makes them feel they achieve a greater quality of health? I for one cannot understand the position Andrew Little and the Labour Party has taken. The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and the Greens have a very big group of potential voters wanting better. We want to be patients not criminals , How can anyone not understand that?

When the odds are stacked against you. Don't quit.

I confess to be overwhelmed. In the past month I have suffered a horrendous amount of verbal abuse, threats and extortion which I will not dredge up again, but if you are reading this I think you saw what was posted about my family and myself. I was blackmailed and abused, threatened till I went to the police and finally a move out of Auckland was the safest for myself and the 2 year old I have custody of. I celebrated my birthday In Auckland with a party of 10 and Wing Wah restaurant. Some time after that I was stopped at a check point for a breath test which I passed. When the Police ran my name through the computer the bail conditions came up and they then decided that they could smell cannabis and searched my car. Bingo! I spent the night in a cell instead of letting off my fire works. Even more ridiculous was the search and 10 minute arrest of my daughter's Father . See my facebook competition page next week! At 2 am I was woken in my cell and taken to the interview room by a very junior Jarrod Hood of the traffic police to record my video comment , which was a short No Comment. Is it normal to wake people to do interviews when they have made it clear that they are not going to speak? Thanks Jarrod. The police also found 1800 in 100 bills in an ANZ envelope and seized it. I said that money is borrowed and for my lawyer as you know I am due in court on the next day. To no avail .A very stupid woman police officer was called and she insisted on making a mention of this to CYFs. I am a CYFs caregiver and have gained custody of my grandson through the court, off and out of CYFs care. I am a good parent. In my car at time time of the breath test was my 14 year old daughter and my 2 year old grandson. I think that the police lady must think that a bag of plant material puts children in danger. Um I was gobsmacked and thought this to be excessively heavy handed. I have even written to the Ministry of social development last year(2013) to ask the question under the Official Information Act : How many children of the 3869 children in state care were removed from their home due to cannabis? How many children children have been removed from parents due to cannabis and no other drug use? I am not a P manufacturer or user. I have no gang connections and I am a Cannabis activist and trying to Establish a Green Cross In Auckland. I have no other convictions and am not violent nor do I possess any weapons! I am not a roast buster or a drunk driver. I am a 49 year old Mother, Grandmother and drug and alcohol counsellor. What happened to GODZONE, when I was growing up, my elder brother and sister were uni students and we went to protests about social rights and human rights. I think we have gone backwards. things now are less free, jobs are less well paid and secure. I got new bail conditions to reside in Paeroa and have a curfew. I got a phone call from CYfs wanting to talk about cannabis and the 14 year old. I said she lives in Auckland with her Dad. Then after coming home from the library,(my new office), as I cannot go back to my former business, without breaching my bail. Togo to retrieve my printer and art and pack up my cafe I may be arrested.Twp people were lurking at the bottom of my drive way. I thought crap, who sent these people. They didn't immediately identify themselves but once I had ascertained that they were from CYFs acting as police puppets I got really angry and said ACT professionally. Would it be too difficult for your people to make an appointment? It is professional. Second why not look up my file and see what the circumstances actually are. I felt the menacing intent of hungry and desperate people going after nothing. I then drove down to the local CYFS office with my file, the court documents and the previous social workers report . I have not heard back from them. Not even to return or pick up my documents. But I don't expect much from that lot and am never disappointed. It goes on. The next day soon after 9pm a loud knocking at the door woke me. I looked out the window and saw a police car. Right, I forgot I am such a criminal alone at home in bed and in charge of A TWO YEAR OLD! Bail check. Of course a bail check! There are unsolved murder cases in this town, rapists and murders, child abusers and drunk drivers but I am deemed important enough to visit. Today the news came in the post that The New Zealand Police at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, had contacted the IRD on my behalf to deduct 1800 from inland revenue because I owe exactly the same amount. I owe Inland Revenue a whole lot more than that as i have a student loan of $7219.20. I can only assume that the police are once again overstepping the bounds of their authority. On contacting the IRD and sending them the withdrawal slip from the ANZ i was informed i can have this money returned. The IRD informed the Police actions were unlawful. I am stunned at the malice the Police are showing. I am not bitter about my situation but as Facebook friends, time to be a real friend and show your support for my efforts. I am asking everyone who has been to my cafe to consider how I helped you and now need your help back. I am really optimistic that you people are smart enough to realise the risk I took was for you and not me. It was to push law reform along in this country. If I had been making a profit from my cafe as the police allege I would not be asking you for this money. I have been locked out of my business and chance to earn which is also unlawful as I believe i am innocent till proven guilty.

We don't want to be criminals, We want to be patients.

Drugs! It is a word that has dark connotations for many if not all. Medicine as a word, equates with Health and have positive connotations as a whole. But drugs and medicine, are in many cases one and the same. What creates the different meaning of the word drug is when a drug is abused or misused. A person who is dependent on substances is labelled a drug addict or abuser but not a medicine addict! The language that surrounds the use of drugs in today's society, shapes the opinion of the people in it. About a decade ago I did a literature at Canterbury university on The Public health Message on Cannabis. I researched all articles that the Ministry of health produced and I then broadened my search to new paper articles and also medical journals and some magazines. The consistent message I obtained was there were very few articles. some were not made public. Some were not released and most were negative. There was no articles suggesting that cannabis had beneficial properties. In 1996 The state of California legalised cannabis for medical use under the supervision of a medical doctor and on obtaining a card stating your eligibility to purchase and use medicial marijuana. I went to see this system in action by visiting an amazing generous man called Doctor David Bearman. He is one of the founders of a local youth health services at the university in Santa Barbara called Isla Vista and is a crusader for better public health . I think he is a super star and was friends with the legend the late Jake Herer. Doctor Bearman cited the research of Tod Mikuraya another pioneer in prescribing cannabis for Vietnam war veterans. Cannabis was effective in reducing the reliance on alcohol. Many of the veterans returned with PTSD or shell shock and many self medicated with alcohol. excessive drinking by many soldiers had a damaging effect of their lives and health. Cannabis was a useful tool in reducing the amount the former soldiers drank. it is no secret that cannabis and other drugs are banned in the military but the drinking culture of the enlisted has been a problem. The drinking culture of the Army has resulted in a change. Less drinking is now the norm. Cannabis is a relaxant for many. It can even be a sedative and is very useful for sleep problems. People suffering from over use of amphetamines , speed , cocaine or P have all been treated successfully in reducing the withdrawal symptoms by using cannabis. The people I meet and talk to on a daily basis are in pain. They suffer from mental health issues like depression and anxiety. some are insomninac's who can't sleep. others are reducing their reliance on opioids as inevitably depence and misuse are a common factor in certain types of medication. If someone rolls a herbs and has a few puffs for their fibromyalgia should they be arrested or supported? If some eats a cannabis cookie to help them sleep through the night is that wrong/ If an adult chooses to use a cannabis derived oil for epilepsy is that wrong when it is far more effective than the prescribed meds and without half the side effects? When are people going to get a fair deal on medications from marijuana? Cannabis was a commonly used and available medicine from Chemists last century. It was available as a tincture and for coughs. No one has ever died from cannabis as there is no effective lethal dose known or recorded. But despite all the evidence and all the people in countries around the world New Zealand is in the last century with its stance on the medicinal herb.

I am not saying sorry.

We have been asking for permission to use cannabis in New Zealand for 40 years. Cannabis law reform groups began in the 1970's in New Zealand, and if measuring how far we have come, it may take a small measure rather than- we are light years ahead of that time. In 1996 California legalised the use of medical marijuana and has never looked back. To date about half of the States in America have medical marijuana and two States have fully legalised all cannabis use. I also feel there should be no distinction between recreational use and medical use because the plant is medical. It may seem like semantics over the word drug but I would agree with both the law makers and the police that we don't need more drugs on the street. As a drug and alcohol counsellor since 2005, I have seen no real change in policing or the drug use in New Zealand. Things seem pretty consistent. I moved to Auckland after the September, Christchurch earthquake (number one) and was horrified at the rate of P use. I certainly don't have the answer! Why I want cannabis legal in answer, to we don't need more drugs in society. But we do need safe and efficient effective and low cost medicines right? One of the most effective medicines in the treatment of drug addiction, surprisingly is cannabis. Cannabis is used by meth heads in America to help the come down. Cannabis was also suggested to clients at drug treatment agencies to be safer than the synthetic cannabis products which were legal but far more potent and mentally addictive than regular cannabis. I know of health workers around the country who had to say to clients you really are safer going back to regular cannabis than using the herbal highs. Thank goodness a group of concerned mothers around the country fought for them to banned. Cannabis works in quite unusual ways compared to many other drugs. The most outstanding thing about cannabis it there is no lethal dose. There are no deaths fully attributed to cannabis globally. It works to stop pain. The easiest way to describe pain is in the brain rather than at the site of the injury. Cannabis works by releasing the chemicals in the brain that both block the pain but really it is working in the brain almost to trick it. I believe that is why is can enliven a person or sedate a person. The different strains of cannabis also can have different effects on the body. The strain Charlottes web is used to make oil that controls seizures. It is for this reason that cannabis is effective as medicine for muscle spasms like MS and Parkinsons. I am now a fully fledged supporter of Green Cross, am running Auckland Green Cross and hoping to complete a scientific study with other members. A week ago my home and place of business was raided. The Auckland Office of green Cross was also raided and a sizeable amount of cannabis was taken. This was to be the first batch of Rick Simpson oil as I have been learning how to make and understand dosage and best use of the RS oil. Green Cross was donated almost enough to make the first batch and patients were waiting. Myself included. I have a long association with cannabis and after studying to become a teacher I then retrained to become a counsellor. I went from standing for the ALCP and supporting NORML, to only wanting to represent medical users. I also had some disappointment with the Daktory. But hats off to Dakta Green, Gizi and all Daktory folk for making it happen first. Sorry tinny houses! NORML endorsed medical Marijuana in 2011 so better late than never boys. I was able to gather most of my research for my Post Graduate study on Cannabis use in New Zealand and was planning to do my thesis on Cannabis Clubs in New Zealand. I would like to remember Stephen McIntyre for his role in opening the first medical club and Green Cross in New Zealand . Sadly I believe police intimidation and using synthetics, as part of his bail conditions caused him to take his own life. I won't be following him. Nor do I want any person to claim I am a roaring lion. I am anything but. I am a trudging mammoth, I am dragging with me the weight of a decade of denial of the efficacy of the plant. But I refuse to give up. The reason I am trailblazing a path seemingly alone and outside the law is because I have been asking for permission for since 1994. I have written to the many different Ministers of Health to allow the use of medical marijuana for myself. I have written on the behalf of others and many others have written to them over the years. We as medical users have taken part in writing submission to a health commissions and Health Select Committee Inquiries and the like for nearly 20 years. The original Green Cross founder Greg Soar wrote to the Hon Peter Dunne in 2002 and detailed the condition of a patient and member of green cross who was experiencing dreadful nausea as an effect of the HIV medications he was taking. I have it in writing that Peter Dunne called medical marijuana and the request for an exemption to allow its use "Garbage". Peter Dunne has held this position for 18 years I think. He is also the person who gave us herbal highs ! Go figure his ethics. There is no way around this, other than to go outside New Zealand for help and guidance and the knowledge I have obtained has allowed me to act in this way. I have had considerable experience and two trips to America to meet and work with doctors. While the police and the law make me a criminal I feel no shame in following what has already been common place in America and it is the commonly used herb in Asia.I know it is safe as it it used most often on children. I want to enjoy my life in a pain free manner. I have a crushed hip and pelvis from a horse riding injury and crippling pain in my feet, diagnosed as plantar fascitis but I suspect it is something else as it has worsened in the two years not resolved. The doctors have prescribed me coedine panadol orthotics, sleeping pills anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication as a result of this condition. I take none of it. I find it difficult to be less mobile than I would like. especially as I have a two year old in tow. But medicine I use and have used for over 30 years is cannabis. No one can convince me it is not right when i see the positive results all around me. I see people getting to sleep after a toke on a bong instead of using alcohol or prescription drugs. Combine alcohol with prescription drugs and there is a low fatal concoction. I am going to court to prove that I am innocent of any crime. Cannabis is a medicine. I am here to help.

The double standard still exists.

I had a really bizarre conversation with an older man the other day. It reminded me that the good old double standards of sexual politics are alive and well today.
I am happy with being single and even not being in a relationship. Due to life commitments celibacy has a become a fact of life.
However recently I came under enormous pressure to give in to this bloke, when it was the last thing on earth I wanted to do.
Even weirder was the conversation we had about sex these days when you are single and well over 40.

He said my wife was fast because she had about 20 lovers? But he added she had also been sexually abused by an uncle/father/brother/grandad.
Um, 20 doesn't seem that many . After all if we go to bars and occasionally engage in casual sex a couple of times a year it adds up after ten or twenty years.
How many girls have you been with then? I asked.
83, he said.
Unfucking believable. So ex-wife is slutty pants and you have slept with 4 times the number.

I decided to lead this conversation astray and when he said what about you, I said none of your business. Nice girls don't tell and gentlemen don't ask.
But since prostitution is legal and felt that he was doing the same thing, as in if I pay for dinner I have really brought you,... I went out on a limb and said I'm still working it out. but perhaps ten thousand men?

For money of course. I sell sex and worked out that if I had worked for the past 11 years that it has been legal and worked a 40 hour week and done about one man an hour my sum was 40 x 52 weeks equals 2080. Over eleven years that would be nearer 20, 000 blokes. Nothing wrong with that eh?

Of course he looked horrified but I just joked and said well sorry but I don't like your double standards. If you have slept with four times the number of people you have less morals than her, or what???

I am not a hooker, never have been,  I wasted my time on cannabis law reform instead of making money.

But I then had a bit of a flash of insight, does being sexually abused, raped or continually harassed for sex mean that you are labelled promiscuous when you are just unable to say no, as past experience has lead to violence?

The research suggests that many sex workers did experience sexual abuse as a child. Again does being violated damage your power or ability to say no?

Rape victims often feel some how responsible that a man raped them and they are pressured not to take him to court or worse send him to jail!
Many victims feel a sense of shame at being raped. Sometimes this is enough to stop them from reporting the rape to the police. Most people know that the process for investigating rape is as invasive if not more invasive than the actual rape itself.

Having sex with a really drunk girl seems to be ok, with many young men.
Telling a girl you will break up with her if she doesn't do it with you is coercive. so is saying another girl will take her place if she doesn't do it.

The Roast buster boys were not unique, just cocky youth with a sense of entitlement.
The men in the media and radio especially seem to belong in past decades with their inane comments about the girls and another prominent spokesperson making fun out of sexual harassment.

 He has daughters I wonder will he set them up for abuse with his stupid comments or be a man and help protect them.

If you are a man and think New Zealand does not have a rape culture, talk to any man who played team sport in the 80's and what went on.
And if you still don't get it, ask a women you know well if she has even being raped or was pressured into sex she didn't want.

That is, if you can handle it.

My life has had some truly disastrous relationships.

This is not made up and to those who things"did not work out " it was me not you.

I am single at 48 and I think I will be single for a while yet.

It is true I have lost faith in relationships and hope of finding the right one.

I guess the reality and certainty of this hit me on the morning of  September 2010 at 4.35 am when i thought my house was being assaulted by a train and shaken by a giant. It was the first Canterbury earthquake. I was alone with my children , scared and afraid. I didn't have a partner or lover who cared enough to call and I felt for the first time in my life truly unloved. It was time to hug ya self and move on . I couldn't go back to bed, I couldn't sleep and yet I was in slight shock . I made muffins at 5 am as I didn't know how to calm down and relax or stop shaking.

My previous relationship was suddenly ended, in 2008, when I returned from a school-shoe shopping trip on a Sunday afternoon and my live-in boyfriend had disappeared. I mean really disappeared. I waited for a call from him to say he was ok. but it never came. I have not heard from him since. I was so worried and anxious at work that I called the police and asked what do you do, when you  don't know. Has he hurt himself? "Unlikely", the Police officer said.

With greater caution I decided to wait a while before going trough the pain of rejection or loss.

I'm still waiting.

My most recent relationship of sorts was with a very pleasant gentleman from the South Island who I meet in Fiji. It started of with a boozy session and a tropical island and it continued with visits to Auckland and occasional visits South. it sort of ended badly with an argument about cannabis vs alcohol after too much of both.

Why is it that the kiwi male needs to drink so much?
Ok not all, but the fun chaps, who are single, do seem to consume way more alcohol than I want to.

And of course, block your ears  or eyes if you are sqeamish, but at a certain age women and men respond differently to sex than we did in our 20's. Some men seem to want, to never grow any older, (or learn anything new) and tend to resort to little blue pills. So in effect the woody is not just for young men.

It is true though, I did invite a nice fella over, builder, strong and capable all that, and again, too much booze and performance anxiety. Now I want to give up!

I have also being quite aware that there is a P problem in this country and in Particular all the places that start with P, Panmure, Papakura , Ponsonby, Pakaranga etc,  you can find P for sale. This may be urban rumour cos I have also been told it's on the North Shore and out West. I am just pretty mindful that most people will not reveal this sort of thing to you right away. And am watching out .

I have been listening to a play on the radio about some pretty loose relationships, a young women bonking two friends and one is married. I could not be that type of person. sex is not sport but I guess, and am realising it's not love either.

But the thing is, having regular sex with a person can lead to falling in love, even if you don't want to.

I got married, in 1986, my Mother-in-law reckons I was an hour late. I don't think so , but it is true I did not want to get married that day. I was 20. I had a beautiful wedding and my groom had already been married before. I tried to reason with him during the honeymoon that this was not for me , but he told me it was nerves and we would be fine. I did truly love him and the marriage lasted some years and we had a daughter.


It was like wild horse , wearing a heavy bit, and being riden by a very hard rider.
We moved 14 times in seven years, and lived in three countries and in the USA four different States. I was so homesick.

 My boyfriend before this had a IV drug habit and rooted a friend at my first flat warming party, or so i was told.

Another  incredibly unique man used to tell me to settle down
Ha, that's is the worse , I mean the very worst thing he could say to me.
I won't bow down and I don't settle.

I am unsettled by nature I guess.
To settle , to me, means accepting a lesser version of the desire or dream. It means to accept and not to strive.

It rubs me.

I entered another relationship and that was violent. There were fights and drinking and I ran away , again after a number of years. I damaged myself and my daughter by staying. I should have quit the relationship at the first threatening behaviour.

I have been sexually assaulted twice.
Police, not helpful.
Worst betrayal by a female friend ever who said the guy was rapey, after the date, while she baby sat for me. Did she warn me??? NO.
 Did she offer to drive me to the police? NO!
Is she a friend ? NO.

Now I am very careful.

There are some wonderful men out there. I know, they are called husbands and they are the ones who don't have addiction issues. They don't lie or not work. They take the responsibility of having a wife and family and care for them and make them safe.

They are taken and they are valued.

I am no longer really looking for a soul mate, lover, or life partner. I am very busy and am raising a little boy about what it means to be a good man.
That is very fulfilling and without a relationship at this time I am free to be with where and with who ever I want.
I don't have any time for this as I have a very busy life, but this is what I tell myself daily.

I am surrounded by men at work .
I did consider a women , briefly but I am not sure that is for me.
I say love is love and meeting my next companion could be years away or tomorrow.

but I am not unhappy.
 But reflecting on the bad moments clouds the good times. The good and great times are why, I know i will Love Again.

New Zealand is the best country in the world! Yeah right!

I guess New Zealand is the best place in the world to live if you don't actually live here. It is of course the land of the long white cloud. It is clean and green and beautiful and the air is free. For now. Yes we do live on a postcard perfect island but there is trouble in paradise and scratch the surface you will find anger. That our freedom of speech and personal rights are among the best in the world is very nice, and taken for granted mostly but our health, nutrition and medical care isn't ranked very high at all.

In fact I thought that the front page of the Herald was really rather pollyannaish given that the rest of the Nations news papers skipped this feel good story today to focus on some truthful issues. Marilyn Waring was interviewed on the morning radio news show and she pointed out that statistics can say anything. These sets of statistics excluded many indicators that would show a far lower rating. NZ treatment and access for disabled people is very poor. Does this show figures for women separate to men. The poverty and wealth distribution takes a different form.

What does socially advanced mean ? Gay Marriage and new cell phones? Everyone on Facebook , twitter or the internet? I listened to the Washington Based Think-Tank Social Progress Imperative tell us we are number one for Freedom. Hmm well it does seem that actually our freedoms are fast eroding. The GCSB bill made sure no one has total privacy or secrecy and we are all part of meta data. So we value these things more than health as our rating of 28th is alarming to me. More so when one of our low achievement is maternal death during childbirth. Seriously ? My god! If you are not a mother reading this , has death during childbirth ever been a concern to me? I gave birth unaided in a bathroom and I guess the possibility of either of us dying was high. An ambulance was despatched and we were both given what we needed although no one ever put socks on my freezing feet as it was 22 June and they were frozen.


I think health should be more preventative and less cost and treatments to the elderly. To live a healthy life we need to eat well, sleep well and exercise. If these basics were attended to we would be a more healthy population over all. I mean this is horrible but our suicide rate is really bad, so what is the value of these social advances when we are not dealing well with preventing suicide or obesity for that matter. Right near the bottom.

Our health crisis is coming and more prevention programmes are needed. More education and more active lifestyles are needed. What I think has happened is with life being lived 24/7 too many people are not getting enough sleep, are eating takeaway junk foods and never exercising.  Night shift workers have long been noted for having health problems , insomnia and gastric problems due to not being in sync with the rest of the day night world.  Yes we may be the first on the stock exchange floor when it opens in New York because it is the end of our trading day but should life not be lived at a more enjoyable pace with the emphasis on balance.

It comes down to reflecting the values of the think-tank as their core goal is Social Progress. Sadly if social progress means a mass global culture that means corporatisation of food we are only going to get less healthy. I hope that New Zealanders do reflect on this top rating for a moment to form our own opinion of what makes New Zealand our top choice as we are living here. What do we like the most and what do we want to retain as New Zealanders? What are the core values of being a KIWI and what things are non-negotiable?  Does the TPPA deal make you feel happy and safe with their plans?
 That is perhaps the question to ask ourselves.
Most people don't know what is in it.

But when I read of a survey overseas boasting how we are top in the world here in New Zealand I wonder how that headline looks, when this paper is used for a blanket, on the homeless man asleep on the bench in Avondale.
Thousands drive by every day.

And finally access to electricity  at 100% doesn't really correlate that well with the thousands of customers cut off . So figures and stats are funny things .

Now Peter Dunne has brain fade also.

Peter Dunne has recently returned from some pretty high level talks in Vienna about drug policy and reform. It seems there was a lot of progress made and some countries were even willing to adopt the position that drug use is not a criminal issue , it is a health issue. Actually it's good use of tax payer money to save all that money in the courts. And the other piece of new policy and agreement from Vienna was that the death penalty is wrong for drug offences. There is a big shift away from this. Phew, thank Goodness.

When asked about the other big shift in marijuana law reform in America Peter Dunne was quietly dismissive and when asked about the longer and far greater reforms such as Portugal and Uruguay Mr Dunne defended his position by saying they were at the extreme edge of the spectrum.

When discussing the latest Psychoactive bill on Radio NZ National, he was again rather dismissive of answering any question about the relaxing of the laws affecting cannabis or granting of exemptions under medical advice, seemed to be easily defeated by, his reply, not yet . No.
 Its not likely cannabis will meet the the threshold for low risk , I believe is what Mr Dunne actually said.

How unbelievable that Mr Peter Dunne , (while not a doctor I admit) , has not seen or been able read a single piece of over 20,000 published documents in medical Journals . Has ignored any number of requests from people for help with obtaining cannabis a medicine used for over 2,000 years. I am astounded.

I don't know how to explain to any person I see as a counsellor, or as a person who has obtained cannabis in order to treat a specific illness, generally after consulting with doctor , That it is Legal for You to obtain synthetic cannabis such as K2 kronic or pineapple haze but not a specific strain of cannabis known for centuries to aid sleep or increase appetite.I find it perplexing.

I'm not against the Psychoactive Bill and I am most certainly not against new psychoactive substances being tested but lets start first with the ones of known value, that have extensive existing research such as LSD . The first off the mark and out of the Misuse of drugs act and not into, Pyschoactive Substances bill but it's own Cannabis bill, would be cannabis.

 For two reasons. one it has great medical value and implications.  And it is widespread in America. One of the binding UN agreements doesn't seem to apply anymore. So why pretend any more?

Recreational use of cannabis being legalised and regulated would eradicate many of the substances currently available. If cannabis use was decriminalised. at least for the same amount of time as the Psychoactive bill is allowed to bed in 5 years would seem only fair. Otherwise it seems a grave injustice against the medical users of cannabis who didn't have the means to write a formally and legally worded bill.I wonder who sitting in Parliament took the time to read it from cover to cover?

So all I'm asking, is that we don't settle for less than we deserve. If you do settle for this piece of legislation that is so bad and woolly Ron Mark says you can drive a tractor through it.
I don't want to do that, I just want to swing the pendulum of change back towards cannabis. Perhaps the communities disgust at the legal highs being sold will prompt some more people from the medical profession to speak out. perhaps Miracles will occur and they will get behind cannabis legalisation!

Why I am opposed to over regulation of cannabis

I am a woman. I am a mother. I am a teacher. I am a drug and alcohol counsellor and I am opposed to over regulation of cannabis. I don't want to see cannabis being a commodity like tobacco and alcohol. As you know the restrictions on tobacco are that individuals are not allowed to grow for sale and the seeds for tobacco are not readily on sale although you can buy them from specialist seed banks like Kings.
Take alcohol, we are allowed to make beer and wine ourselves but not allowed to sell spirits that we make ourselves.
I don't want the lovely cannabis plant becoming another commodity that becomes hands off for the normal kiwi person and the corporations take over.
I don't want to buy my cannabis in pre-rolled packets.
I dont want Pall Mall or Rothmans type of packaging.

I don't want to see cannabis being regulated and commodified like tobacco.

I speak for myself but I have never wanted to purchase any of the existing legal highs for sale because as a drug and alcohol counsellor I am not comfortable with a product that has a number and not a name.

Perhaps it comes down to being open and transparent or the opposite of being closed secretive and exclusive. It seems the legal high market has done a great job in getting a sale of psychoactive substances bill through Parliament with the Minister of Health, the Hon Peter Dunne. But is it great for cannabis?

As far as I know there has never been a single death from cannabis in the entire world. as a counsellor that makes it safe enough for me to approve. I approve it's use both recreationally and medicinally. I think the problem in New Zealand is that the although we state drug use as a medical and health related problem, the average medical person or doctor is not trained in drugs or drug use. That area of medicine is a speciality area and part of  mental health area which has meagre funds and resources. Drug and alcohol treatment is not a sexy area of medicine like cancer or cardiology. We don't get MIR machines. We deal with difficult people with frequent relapses.

 As a result people with drug abuse issues and addiction problems do not see their GP and have the matter dealt with at the doctors.  Our medical model puts those people out of the mainstream and treats them at centres designed for drug treatment. CADS or community alcohol and drugs services. It has stigma attached.

I am not against drug use, hell I know most of New Zealand isn't.  Over 80% of us drank alcohol last year Alcohol is a drug but again labeling makes a big difference when alcohol the social lubricant has not been deemed a drug of addiction but we accept those poor old alcoholics and don't seem to make the connection.  Misuse of alcohol and a genetic component can turn any person an alcoholic.

So my point is that cannabis is low risk , do we need 30 pages of jargon to tell us that?
I want the cannabis industry to be developed by those already in and not a bunch of politicians. I want the money and the control to remain in the hands of individuals and not one.

I think the worst thing that could happen is for cannabis to made legal and illegal to grow sell or trade apart from those licenced outlets. Because as we have seen, this means white men in expensive suits and the rest of us over looked.
Just look at the other big Pharma and tobacco and alcohol cos this may be where we are headed. Its not where I want to go.

Cunliffe and the C word.

Oh Dear despite his confident appearance and new policy for children, (new babies allowance) it seems that David Cunliffe's tradition to be tricky and divisive is on the rise again.

Does he not realise he needs a good coalition partner in Government?
Does he not realise he is sitting in the seat less than a kilometre from west Aucklands former forary in grand scale cannabis shop sales aka the Daktory?

I can't wrap my head around a person who wants to be the leader of this country and yet  who is so so clearly out of touch with the ordinary person and grasping at what he thinks people may want.

Has he been to the New Lynn police station to discuss the Daktory. The Daktory is now closed but it did provide a very valuable service in west Auckland where the old prohibition era remains in such we cant buy alcohol at a supermarket and clearly don't deserve a venue that could meet the needs of both music and alcohol. You know grown adult entertainment. We have the portage licencing trust and I wonder if it's time they considered issuing cannabis licences .

Had the Daktory been sanctioned by higher members of the community I am sure it would still be running today. What it provided was a adult chill space where young and old could come to socialise and NOT DRINK!!!! Why not encourage a pilot scheme?

That is one of the reasons for the legalsisation of cannabis in Denver Colorado. Mason Tvert ran a widely publicised campaign that. Cannabis is safer than alcohol. It is ! Alcohol is the cause of many of the weekend and late night admittances to the emergency room. Alcohol plays a role in many car accidents and death. Alcohol plays a role in sexual assaults and rape.
Alcohol can lead to depression. Yes it makes you feel happy when you are drinking but it has the same low mood later as alcohol is a depressant. It switches off parts of your active brain. Unfortunately this over a long term can lead to seizures and death should alcohol use be stopped suddenly.

I can state that. as an drug and alcohol counsellor,  in my 31 years of exposure to the cannabis scene in New Zealand I have yet to see the type of health issues or crimes associated with other drugs. Alcohol can make many people violent or at least belligerent. I have had clients that i have counselled over a range of issues, the most common being cigarettes and alcohol but also P users , BZP users and other drugs as well. Very few people come to me with problems associated with their cannabis use that are not directly related to the law. The loss of their job, the use being exposed, fear of the police ,and shame are more the types of problems people report. Many have had serious side effects from the legal synthetic cannabis though.

Our pointy heads in the Ministry of health and Parliament voted for fake legal drugs. Um excuse me but how does that solve the cannabis issue. I say issue and not problem because the problem with cannabis in New Zealand is the law. What we want, is what America has.

Safe Access to cannabis.

Safe access for medical or recreational is irrelevant to me because as a drug an alcohol counsellor I can tell you many many prescriptions are also used for recreational purposes. The sale of prescription drugs is nothing new. All substance use is to feel better, improve mood, diminish anxiety or relieve pain. Recreational or medical I'm not the one to state the difference.

One person who also extremely irritates the snot out of me is OLD Prof. Fergusson.
 Please retire! You base your scientific evidence on one survey of a group of while middle class folk from ChCh.I have also heard you say this is the only job you have had for the past 30 years. Looking right into your set of data and proclaiming a TRUTH". Well I suspect that things are slightly different where people are not from chch and also not used to 30 years of being questioned about their life. Your cohort have become rather stale and dated , erm a bit like yourself.

What made me the most angry was the cannabis lowers IQ points. Phew thanks god then, cos some of those really clever people I have met at university and enjoyed a smoke with may have had IQ's off the chart were it not for your causal explanation that cannabis lowers your IQ by 8 points or so! This is nonsense.

On the other side of prof. David Fergusson's magic mirror is the real story, places like America and Portugal, the Netherlands and Uruguay who all see the benefits in legal safe access to cannabis for adults only instead of living in the shadows feeling like freaks and creeps who use the dirty demon weed and  we are discriminated for using a sacred plant.

C'mon Cunliffe get some education and see the world . Liberate the West Auckland from the tyranny of oppression. Let the plant and economy prosper. I'm not after a rockstar economy but wouldn't mind  You could be a leader but I suspect you are yet another also ran.

2014 the year of the Consumer, Cannabis that is!

I am so happy that Colorado is leading the way with cannabis law reform. The natural progression from Medical Marijuana outlets or dispensaries to the legal sale of recreational cannabis makes perfect sense. As a grandmother and former youth worker at Odyssey house (alcohol and drug counsellor) I would prefer that my mokopuna waited till 18 or older before drinking or smoking or trying any of the mind altering substances. As a researcher of cannabis and cannabis activist I would be happier to see my children with a joint in their hand than a can of beer or glass of wine.

I have watched with interest how America is sorting itself out and ending the prohibition of cannabis and I firmly believe it has mostly been a consumer lead law. By consumer I mean user of cannabis. I make little distinction between medical use and non-medical or recreational use as I believe we use cannabis to feel better= happier relieved relaxed and this in my mind is what medicines do. Marijuana or cannabis has a therapeutic effect for many people.
Many people say it puts them to sleep. Exactly , that is one of the most common uses.

Imagine the drop in prescriptions if this was common knowledge. Zoplicone and other sleeping drugs are addictive and dangerous and can cause death. Cannabis can be used safely in small amounts over very long periods of times. There are hundreds if not thousands of doctors in America writing medical user cards for normal people all across America. The people that use cannabis for any reason are just like you and me.

Marijuana use in New Zealand is widespread and mainstream. Despite there being a dearth of real evidence, studies etc detailing cannabis use in New Zealand nice people use cannabis. The only real depiction of the cannabis user is on TV shows like Police Ten 7 and drugs bust. We only see one side of cannabis users in New Zealand and it is a negative depiction.

I have been to court for cannabis possession and my story isn't likely to be told by the media anytime soon because I plead guilty to possession and was discharged without conviction.  The police want to present the view to the public that a cannabis user is something to fear. A cannabis user is a criminal and breaking the law which the Police are duty bound to maintain.

The judge saw that as a cannabis law reformer I had the need of a passport to travel and research what is happening in other places like Denver and Portugal. This year I would like to go to Amsterdam where cannabis has been discretely sold from coffee shops for 40 years. Uruguay has also passed laws legalising sales of cannabis. How amazing! And where is the harm? What is the danger of cannabis? What do the people fear? Well the users fear the police and the non-users fear the unknown.

That is why I think that 2014 should be the year for the consumer to do a little cannabis education on the others and break down barriers. The truth is, cannabis smokers, eaters or drinkers are no different to anyone else. We tend to be of every age. It is a myth that people mature out of cannabis use. Many many older senior citizens use cannabis daily for aches and pains and just the enjoyment. I have seen a 72 year MD pull on a pipe and know many pension aged cannabis users. Most are the lively and interesting people you meet in daily life, out cycling or swimming. Walking a well loved dog or driving a car listening to a great stereo.

For many people including those that say they don't use cannabis, like the defense force and Government people, all types of people enjoy cannabis for some social purposes and enjoyment of music art or activity. We know what we like and who we are and we need to have a personal uprising as cannabis consumers. I have been over this many times in my head and fail to see one single reason why I should not enjoy a little plant rolled in a paper and passed to friend while watching a perfect sunset. Or to start a day in a well adjusted and happy space instead of my slightly depressive and negative frames of mind in the morning. It sort of goes with the paper and a nice cup of tea.

This is a campaign of strength and individuality. I am not saying rush out and out yourself as a cannabis consumer but stop feeling so bad. I smoke cannabis, so what!

It is not all I am, it is not the only thing I do.
I am sick of people being defined by their use of cannabis and even angered as the frequent depiction of a cannabis user is a no-hoper and criminal type. I am willing to bet that university students are still one of the biggest groups that consume cannabis and no one would be calling that bunch of "young academia" stupid for trying cannabis, except someone even dumber.

 I parent and cook and run a business and garden and read books and watch tv and walk on bushy tracks and paint in acrylics and make chocolates and cup cakes and move house frequently.I enjoy art and going to galleries and I enjoy travel , warm beaches and swimming.
 I have been to school and taught and been to university and learnt.I have been a wife and am still a mother and now Nana. Any person who has ever smoked and enjoyed the experience is unlikely to have been harmed by the experience.

So I am continuing my personal revolution to legalise cannabis and show the people, that nice people use cannabis. I hope everyone who enjoys cannabis can stand tall knowing they are using a safer alternative to alcohol. Safer for your body and safer for society. The biggest harm and the biggest fear , I don't have one anymore.

Greed is a sin but profit making is to be valued! huh

I guess I am happy to say that I am not alone in thinking that the price paid to farmers this year by Fonterra cannot keep rising.
Just like Corporate Executives, cannot keep demanding higher and higher salaries.

Hard to say I am a fan, of former French President Nicholas Sarkozy, but he also states that GDP (gross domestic product) is not an accurate measure of economic success. He commissioned a report and found that other principles should be factored in when measuring economic success such as sustainability and the environment. He is correct. What is the value of great material wealth but no air or water quality?
 Buying and spending are not everyone's idea of achievement. The latest round of asset sales is like a very exclusive game. Commoners like me simply don't play.

But I am in business and I do want to make a profit. However perhaps where I may differ is I want my business to be sustainable, I don't want to have a negative impact on the environment nor do I want to sell a product i don't believe in. I only want to be responsible for creating good will. I want my business to last for generations. I want to learn a lesson from Asia and build a business that last for generations and provides for my family. A lofty goal but not if careful lessons are followed.

What really annoys me the most is that there seems to be a culture of greed as an acceptable norm. I am far from religious but I was told greed is one of the seven deadly sins. I would go further than calling it just greed. The horrible sense of entitlement some business or corporate people display shows clearly how weak they are in real values. Wealth or money doesn't make you a bad person and I like luxury good as much as the next person. Where I may differ is when I do buy a luxury good or anything I try to look after it. I guess when I buy something I create antiques cos I keep my stuff a long long time.

Endless acquisition is dull. Having money and buying stuff is boring. If you like watching the Kardashians and think that that is a worthy lifestyle to aspire to I say good on you . I also say, so far they experience equal heartbreak, drug addiction, marriage break up and divorces if not more and their children cry and poop just like ours.

Money is, as the BNZ advertisement says, neither good nor bad. Lacking a moral compass in business may mean you do get very rich. But the legacy you leave behind should not be at the expense of underpaid or even ill or injured staff. The result should not be a damaged environment that you are responsible for but not held accountable.

I feel we have had one too many Cave Creek incidents and Pike River  should NOT have happened. The buck stops here and being responsible is one of the first challenges society needs to demand and I think this current Government needs to address.

In the meantime ... lets just get organised for next election and vote this morally bankrupt lot out.

I know a lot more about abortion than any man!

I find it repulsive when Ken Orr is maintaining his crusade against abortion despite never having had one and to the best of my knowledge not fostering a dozen or so unwanted and neglected children. Perhaps if he actually spoke kindly with knowledge about the poverty children experience when they are not wanted I would have some respect for him. But these unwanted children grow up in dysfunctional families in over crowded homes.

Ask any social worker from CYfs what they think of abortion and I am pretty sure none of them see abortion as child abuse.

Professor David Fergusson concedes that 98% of abortions are authorised on the grounds of mental health, but that they do not improve the mental health of the women. Really ? Do you think spending the next 20 years raising an unloved and unwanted child is going to be the solution? Perhaps it is the reason for the confusion is that a women should not have to have a"mental health problem" in order to receive an abortion. Perhaps this male centred view is the real problem.

I speak on abortion with some authority as I have had the experience. I was 17 or 18 and despite having two trips to the doctor it was at 13 weeks after a false diagnosis of cysts on my ovaries. I had a week to make up my mind. I was single and not planning on becoming a single mom. I know for a fact that I would not have lead the life I had and married or travelled if I had not been able to access a termination. It was 1984 and I clearly remember being fully under an anaesthetic and after wards watching the 1984 olympic games in LA.

In 1986 I meet my husband and married and then travelled to the USA. There was no way I would have had this experience as a young single mum. In fact I am willing to bet that what causes the most problems for mental health is single parenting. Nothing grinds a person down as much as working 24/7 for no reward. Children or babies seldom say, thanks Mum I loved the bottle you woke up at 3 am to give me.

It's sexist of me to say this but seriously men need to stick to the stuff the know and be supportive of women's choices. It is still very much a mans world. If you disagree just imagine if it was our female mayor having the affair. The name trollop, slapper, loose women , whore, tramp etc . A man is just being a man.
we not in my world.

As the mother of three beautiful daughters and one grandson. I also hope all their children are wanted ones. But should accidents happen , and they do. I would like to think that choice to continue the pregnancy or not was hers alone. That is what a loving and caring society looks like, not one that casts doubt on a woman for her sexuality or choices.And don't get me started on RAPE!

Lying down Len Brown

Hmmm I am pretty annoyed that a man with no moral compass and no boundaries is Mayor of my town. Contrast this slimy lying low life with Lianne Dalziel the new Christchurch mayor. She is squeaky clean and has maintained a dignified stance her whole time in politics. I applaud her. Like Vicki Buck before her. No dramas or stuff ups.

Why do we accept the behaviour of cheaters and liars. Christ if the man is capable of lying to those he loves most, supposedly , his wife and children , what makes you think we will get the truth from Len? Why should a man with an impossibly large ego and no ethics make decisions that affect us. I don't trust him. He is weak and cowardly. He knew this would cost him so he played us all for fools.

Why is there such a disgustingly backward sexist culture in politics today? Helen Clarke did nothing worse than sign a painting in haste and she was treated horribly with gay rumours and being childless, stories portrayed her  as cold . That is not who she is. She is smart woman who intimidated lesser minds. She may have had a cold stare or the death glare but inside she was human and was hurt by comments just as Julia Gillard was.
 She also was a great strong woman who did nothing really wrong. Apart from her gender which was perceived as a weakness.
By whom? Weak cowardly and back stabbing men.

I think that women use a different measuring system to men. People before profits would be more women's than men's mantra.

 How long is a piece of string?
30 cm the women says, 12 inches the man says.
The woman must be wrong the man says.

The same goes for stupid old white men with opinions about periods and abortions. I really don't think you can measure these things scientifically.
Men are the cause of all abortions . Do you think that men will accept that headline?
Why then, should a man write that abortions cause women mental illness.

Perhaps the tools used to measure scientifically are not the same. The peniscope in my opinion gives a far less accurate reading than a vaginascope.
Just like, there are inches and centimetres, so are there different ways to measure things .

I think using the vaginascope the result would be that Len is wrong. However I am quite convinced using a different measuring scale , say the peniscope , the outcome would be different.
Neither of these devices are in common use yet, so it mere speculation but I am stating for the record. It may be time to raise the standard of candidate or introduce I want to change my vote clause!!!

Why I find the Americas cup so exciting and cannabis law reform so dreary!

I have never been a sailor but I am beginning to wish I was one.
 Instead I have spent the last 15 or so years actively supporting and encouraging all forms of cannabis law reform. And being a parent.

I have stood twice as a candidate for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party , once on the West Coast and once in central Christchurch. In the beginning I have to admit I seduced by the fun of doing cannabis law reform. I love cannabis. I love it!!!!
 After all I can see the fun in it and no harm. Cannabis law reform isn't hard core like the Anti aparteid marches of the early 1980's and in particular the anti-springbok tour were scary and often resulted in violent clashes.
I have helped with J days, sold raffle tickets and baked cookies to raise money.FUN.
I have travelled from Invercargill to Kaitaia to meet people and raise awareness .
I even trained as a drug and alcohol counsellor(AOD) and worked a couple of years at Odyssey house to try and understand the cannabis issue from every angle.
I have attended cannabis cups and worked inside the Daktory all in the name of the cause, however today I am wavering in my resolve.

I have been part of NORML and in January I went to California to the Norml (National organisation for the reform of Marijuana laws)
I was in San Francisco representing New Zealand.

I was shocked by how far we have fallen behind the rest of the world in law reform. How can we call New Zealand a just and fair society while ignoring the rights and wishes of the people?

In America today there is medical Marijuana easily available for any person who can be bothered to visit a doctor to get the permit to partake in pot. In fact the concern is, can legal marijuana keep it's counter culture roots or will the big corporations take over?

Gee, I wish that was our only concern.

One of the major areas that cannabis is being used very effectively is in PTSD. This is great for America as it is creating huge numbers of PTSD patients every week. Post traumatic stress disorder is also known as shell shock or battle fatigue. Many former Army and military personnell have endured stress beyond normal limits for long periods of time and alcohol and other drugs are always on hand to manage the problem. Unfortunately they create problems of their own with misuse and over use and dependency.

So after the Daktory I started the High Tea Cafe and now run the information and education centre for cannabis in a cafe environment. I have a small counselling case load but also provide space for those people who want to just discuss the effects of cannabis and discrimination. I also have wall space for local artists and hope to develop an artist in residence programme.

But as to the heady type of activism and law reform that makes me excited I have to say I am sadly deflated. Both by the Government and way the focus has been on psychoactive substances and P and the discussion as recommended by the Law Commission has not really taken place.
This Government and those previous have dodged the cannabis issue. I'm tired of waiting.

The Prohibition of Cannabis in New Zealand, to use a boating comparison, is like a bloody great barge in a narrow canal, it seems impossible to turn around.
By comparison the America's cup Yacht is a boat made of dreams, moving faster than wind. So is, the medical and recreational cannabis law reform movts. in America. Not to mention the plethora of associated products and businesses that support the legalisation and safe access to cannabis.

I want to feel the wind in my hair and the splash of sea spray and not to be bogged down by the pathetic excuse that we can't legalise or decriminalise cannabis in New Zealand for recreational or medical use, because of the conventions made in the US. The same country that made these conventions in the 1970's, now ignores them, along with the Netherlands, Portugal parts of Australia and other countries including Uruguay most recently.( I don't believe anyone in Government or in the Ministry of Health,  has seriously looked at the evidence for cannabis law reform  for decades, because they don't want to rock the electorate vote boat.)

Commitment and money put the New Zealand boat in the water, to compete with the Americans. We need the same commitment and amount of money to get the wind in our sails for cannabis or drug law reform . Sometimes it feels like there is no wind and the cannabis law reform Movt and  becalmed the boat which is in the doldrums.
And it is hard.

It is scary challenging the law, public opinion and the police but we are brave and we are strong.it is expensive and it is often lonely.
 Some of us are fearless.
 I am hoping that like the energy of the sailing and the excitement of the challenge we can inspire a last rush of power to fill the sails for the law reform movt. and together united as a group we can sail to victory with freedom or "safe access to cannabis" as our finish line or goal.

So what will draw the attention of the GCSB?

I must confess to already accepting that this bill will pass. A pragmatic speech from Russel Norman confirmed this, by saying that this bill will be thrown out under the next Labour /Greens Government. That got me thinking about what would it take to be under surveillance? If you oppose the Government could you be spied on?
What does this mean for the opposition parties in Parliament now?
There have been issues swirling around the Beehive that certain MPs do not like having their private information tampered with yet are willing to allow a LAW that made what was ILLEGAL, now Legal.
 It is just wrong.

The level of security breaches, bungles, blow outs and cover ups is beyond a simple conspiracy theory. the game is pretty obvious. Rules are gone. this is a game with no rules. Plus how could you have faith in a Government that routinely fucks up data information NOVOpay was just one example. ACC Breaches and the MSD now wants to do drug testing. I do think they are capable of doing this legally. One thing I would never ever want to be openly sent would be anything to do with my health information after the ACC debarcle to another government department where I only exist as a number.

I am sure no one has noticed how the majority of the National Party MPs have had PR makeovers and no longer even speak regular english. Rather it's a serious , Look John , or Rachel or any other tv journalists name and the first sentence is Look (insert name) I'm not going to talk about that now. (drop vocal tone to Match Margaret thatchers) and continue to stare frostily before saying ,now if you would like to talk about the snapper quota or price of a latte , that's what people are really interested in.

How odd. I am 47 and have never had snapper until moving to Auckland. Snapper is not even caught in the cold south Island waters. we have cod. Red and Blue. One for each political leaning. I am pretty sure the greens would look down on eating fish and who would want to eat a green fish anyway? Maybe some lovely sea weed to go with the organic quinoa?

But back to wondering what is going to draw the GCSB to look at, ok SPY on us. The first thing I heard this morning was all activist will be targets of abuse and likely to be spied on. maybe just for a practice or training exercise.

I am an activist! Should I be worried. I wonder if I could un-activate and join the National Party or maybe move and join the Country Womens Institute I would be above suspicion? Hmmm it's got me thinking.
It is dehumanising a population to act in this way. It is anti-democratic but I saw that the National party could dispense with democracy way back in 2009 when they took over Ecan and then didn't hold a local election in Chch . See what happens when people have their rights eroded. Nothing. All the money s sucked out and the people are not the ones to profit. Just another good deal was made by some person somewhere else.

When a big heartless machine called a corporation poses as a person pretending to care you have a big problem . Cos the money will buy them the next election and the people who now don't care anymore cos they lost their democratic rights end up not voting and things just get better for the Corporations and the people