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.