Police Conduct Authority investigate targeting of Daktory

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has begun investigating the police operation against the Daktory.

Police continued to target the cannabis law reform centre a week after it was raided on March 22.

On March 29 two police cars and a paddy wagon waited around the corner from the club, pulling over cars leaving the area. All passengers in the vehicles were made to give their details to police.

Three separate complaints have been made to the Independent Police Conduct Authority relating to the police targeting of club members.

The Authority confirmed it was making inquiries into the matter.

Judge rules police violated Bill of Rights

The Daktory in Auckland is NZ's first cannabis club

In the wake of the Daktory arrests, Police imposed bail conditions which would have allowed them to search the Daktory at any time without a warrant.

A Magistrate upheld the conditions and two of the accused were held in custody and made to sign bail forms under duress.

However, the next day the pair made voluntary appearances before a district court judge.

Thankfully, two separate district court judges ruled that bail conditions allowing police to search the Daktory at any time, without a warrant, violated the right not to be subject to unreasonable search in the Bill of Rights.

Opposition parties meet with NORML lobbyists

Simon Power

Following NORML's survey of parliamentarians, meetings were arranged with the Greens and Labour.

Iain Lees-Galloway from Labour and Kevin Hague from the Greens meet with NORML's Wellington based lobbists Phil Saxby and Geoff Clarke.

Iain is optimistic about the Select Committee reviewing the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The Law Commission did extensive research during its review of the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975) and made a number of recommendations including clinical trials for cannabis.

While former Justice Minister Simon Power said there would be no change to the legal status of cannabis while he was a minister, his departure paves the way for the implementation of the Law Commission's recommendations.

This includes a entire rewrite of the classification system for drugs using an evidence based approach.

MPs Kevin Hague and possibly Iain Lees-Galloway would be interested in attending a meeting with NORML as well as discussions between NORML and other groups.

Cannabis Activist Doug McLeod arrested during protest

Doug targeted for arrest because of his political views

During the protest supporting the 'Daktory 4' one of the protesters was arrested and put in a paddy wagon for using a magnifying glass to consume hashish.

Doug McLeod was charged with use of cannabis, possession of cannabis and possession of utensils for consumption of cannabis.

Doug appeared in Waitakere Court on April 4 and another protest was held outside.
Doug was remanded to appear on April 18, the same day as the 'Daktory 4'. The 'Daktory 4' has become the 'Daktory 5'.

Doug was also arrested on similar charges when he smoked cannabis at Ragamuffin in Rotorua.

'Daktory 4' supporters protest at Waitakere Court

Protesters outside the Waitakere Court

About 30 people urged passing motorists to support legalising cannabis outside the Waitakere District Court on March 28.

The pro-cannabis protesters were at court to demonstrate against the arrests of four people from Auckland cannabis club The Daktory, which was raided last week after revelations cannabis was being sold from a vending machine there.

A 45-year-old Dutch woman, a 20-year-old man from Namibia and two New Zealand men aged 20 and 28 are charged with possessing cannabis.

All four appeared in court this morning after police raided the club's New Lynn premises, seizing $27,000 cash, cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

Outside, protesters carried signs reading "It's a health issue, not a crime", "legalise cannabis" and "too many smokers to arrest".

The protest was quiet and orderly, and was monitored by five police officers.

A man asked passers-by to sign a petition urging cannabis be legalised, and handed out pamphlets on medicinal cannabis.

One protester, Dakta Toxin, said she would stay at the court protesting for "as long as it takes", while another protester added that he would be there until his death.

Daktatoxin said the best way for the government to deal with cannabis was to "legalise it, especially for medicinal cannabis users".

She urged law makers to "free the Daktory four".

The Namibian man is also charged with knowingly permitting the premises of the Daktory to be used for supplying cannabis, and the 28-year-old was charged with possessing spotting knives for the purpose of using marijuana.

The woman faces a charge of possessing cannabis for supply.

The Daktory remains open but says it won't replace the cannabis vending machine that led to it being busted.

The New Lynn club in Delta Ave had been selling 1gm bags of cannabis from a vending machine several months and had hoped by doing its members would avoid being prosecuted for dealing the class C drug.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Daktory raided following global media attention

Police seize an empty vending machine from the Daktory

While the Truth Weekender broke the story of a vending machine allegedly selling cannabis from the Daktory in Auckland on February 24, it took a few weeks before the rest of the media picked up the story.

But when they did the story became the fourth most read story on Stuff.co.nz, then went big in the Australian news media as well as the international media following a report from AFP.

As a result of the media attention the Daktory was raided the next day and the vending machine taken away, despite it being empty at the time.

A 45-year-old Dutch woman, a 20-year-old man from Namibia and two New Zealand men aged 20 and 28 were arrested on charges of possessing cannabis, possession for supply, possessing utensils and allowing their premises to be used for a crime under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975).

Operating capital of $27,000 was also frozen in the raid leaving the Daktory virtually bankrupted.

All of the "Daktory 4" have vowed to fight their charges until they are free to use cannabis legally in New Zealand.

NZ First MP says 'NO' to Norml

A NZ First MP has said NO to Norml despite Winston
Peters supporting a referendum on the cannabis issue.

Replies are starting to flood in after I wrote to all MPs with a Norml Survey for them to complete.

A Norml delegation will soon be meeting with Kevin Hague from the Green Party and Iain Lees Galloway from the Labour Party to discuss Norml policy further.

New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin has continued her party's famous use of the word 'NO' by answering 'NO' to every question on the Norml survey.

Ms Martin even opposes Food Standards Australia New Zealand's plans to allow hemp foods products in New Zealand, despite hemp seed being one of nature's most nutritious food sources.

"Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) received an Application from Dr Andrew Katelaris MD on 4 December 2009. The Application seeks approval for the use of the seed and seed products of Cannabis sativa, with low levels of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as food." (FSANZ Report - 6/12/11)

"FSANZ is satisfied, based on the safety assessment conducted that hemp foods are safe for human consumption. Hemp food products may provide a useful alternative dietary source of many nutrients and polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids. Only small quantities of whole hempseed or hempseed oil need be consumed to meet the adult adequate Intake for alpha-linoleic acid (an essential omega-3 fatty acid)."

Hemp is legal to grow in New Zealand once a licence is obtained from the Ministry of Health. I recently visited a hemp farm in Waikato which is pioneering a potentially huge new industry in this country. A booming hemp industry would generated jobs and tackle the economic and environmental crisis head on.

However, figures released to Norml under the Official Information Act show that very few New Zealanders are making use of the opportunity to grow hemp.

In 2011 only four companies and one individual received hemp licences. Only one individual applicant was turned down.

In 2010 no individuals applied for Hemp licences. In the last three years there has never been more than six licences issued in a single year, mostly to companies.

While Norml is primary focused on the rights of cannabis users, we hope that the legalisation of hemp following Nandor Tanczos' Private Members Bill in 2002, will one day result in a much more prosperous hemp industry for New Zealand.