Auckland Cannabis Law Reform Community Project

Cannabis law reformers at project Twin Streams

The Auckland Cannabis Law Reform community has begun helping out the wider community by cleaning up a west Auckland river bank.

Around 15 volunteers turned up on Saturday February 18 to do two hours of weeding and picking up rubbish for project Twin Streams. The organisers were blown away by the turn out and were happy to have us back fortnightly.

Project Twin Streams is a large-scale environmental restoration project. it is working to improve water quality in Waitakere streams by revegetating 56 kms of streambanks with native trees and shrubs, and purchasing properties within the flood plain for removal. This stabilises the banks from erosion, creates a cool, shaded environment for ecology to thrive and filters toxins entering the streams.

It was great to see so many cannabis activists turn out to help the local community. The group got a lot of work done in a short space of time. It is important for the cannabis movement to reach out to the local community to show that we are responsible citizens and not criminals.

https://www.facebook.com/events/229827060438199/

Trip to Norml Conference in Wellington

Norml's AGM was held at Tapu te Ranga Marae

I was lucky enough to be able to fly down to Wellington to attend the Norml NZ conference on February 11 2012.

A highlight of the conference was a presentation by drug councillor Roger Brooking, who performs drug assessments in prisons.

Mr Brooking has written a book about the lack of drug treatment programmes in prison called Flying Blind.

"The corrections department spend more money on their uniforms than they spend on drug treatment programmes," he said.

During the formal AGM, Phil Saxby stood down as Norml's acting president.

Much to my surprised I was nominated and voted in as the new president of Norml.

This will be a great opportunity to grow the cannabis movement and truly overgrow prohibition.

I look forward to working with vice president Abe Gray, secretary Phil Saxby, treasurer Chris Fowlie, editor Will de Cleene, direct action co-ordinator Dakta Green, medical marijuana representative Billy McKee, Auckland Representative Sean Norris-Davidson and Wellington lobbyist Geoff Clarke.

After the eventful Norml conference we had a wonderful party at the house of ALCP leader Michael Appleby, who was turning 65. Michael has a spa bath on the roof of his hilltop mansion which we we happy to relax in.

It's a tough life.

Living at New Zealand's first cannabis club

The Daktory featured in the Truth Weekender 24/2/12

Working in a cannabis cafe has been a lifelong dream for me, so when I was offered a position at New Zealand's first cannabis club, I took the job.

The Daktory is located at 80 Delta Ave, New Lynn, Auckland and sells cannabis to the public five days a week.

Cannabis is dispensed from a vending machine which has 1g bags available for $20.

Daktory owner Dakta Green is serving 23 months in Mt Eden prison for charges related to the Daktory. However the club continues to operate and has a good relationship with Police and the local community.

Seeing hundreds of people queue up to buy cannabis each day, reinforces just how popular cannabis actually is in this country.

Most of the customers are the sort of people who don't want to buy from the black market. There are professionals who come to the daktory in suits after work.

The club is the ideal example of how well a legal regulated cannabis trade could operate. The club is R18 and customers must have zero alcohol on their breath when they enter.

While there is no likelihood of the NZ government legalising cannabis, there are big plans for these clubs to spead nationwide.

Community trusts will be used to return profits to local communities and bring public support to the idea of cannabis clubs.

Welcome to my new blog

I'm Dakta Journo. I am a professionally trained freelance journalist, specialising in cannabis news. I will be bringing you the latest in cannabis and hemp news from around New Zealand and the World.