PRESS RELEASE
LIBERTARIANZ
Cannabis Policy

Libz cannabis policy "common sense"

"Vote Libertarianz for legal cannabis," was the message of Libertarianz Drug Deregulation spokesman Dr. Richard Goode today. "The Greens have dropped the ball on this issue," says Goode. "While Libertarianz promotes complete legalisation, the Greens have demoted their former cannabis legalisation advocate, Nandor Tanczos, to a precarious seventh place on their list. Tanczos is now proposing instead that cannabis smokers receive instant $100 fines for lighting up." Goode describes Tanczos' decriminalisation proposal as "one giant leap backwards for the Greens."

Goode confirms that "Libertarianz will legalise cannabis by repealing the draconian and arbitrary Misuse of Drugs Act. Cannabis will be tax-free, unregulated (except for an age restriction on sales) AND completely legal." This is consistent, he says, with the Libertarianz policy to repeal all victimless crimes (crimes without any victim) in order that police may concentrate on real crimes with real victims, and have the numbers and resources to focus on protecting New Zealand's citizens instead of doing them over.

"Our policy is progressive," says Goode. "As adults, we are all capable of making our own decisions about taking drugs and taking the consequences. The government has no right to tell us what drugs not to take, any more than it has a right to tell us what food not to eat or clothes not to wear. There is no sense in legislation which criminalises half the country. Two thirds of young people, and half of all adults under the age of 50, have used cannabis. Marijuana is mainstream. Criminalisation of something so mundane makes an ass of the law, and criminals of otherwise law-abiding people."

"Our policy is common sense," says Goode. "Legalising cannabis removes control of the drug trade and its profits from organised crime and corrupt policemen. Furthermore, legalising cannabis effectively increases police numbers by taking them away from victimless crimes and allowing them to concentrate instead on those with real victims, such as murders, muggings, burglaries, rapes and assaults."

"Our policy is one of freedom with responsibility," says Goode. "We maintain that all New Zealanders must take full responsibility for their actions, including the choices as to what they put into their bodies."

Goode contrasts his party's policy with the "lunatic reactionary ideas" of parties which seek to preserve the status quo. Peter Dunne of the Benighted Future Party, for example, threatens that if a Labour/Greens coalition comes to power, "Cannabis will be legalised and pseudo methamphetamine downgraded as a serious drug." Goode describes 'pseudo methamphetamine' as "pure make-believe on the part of Peter Dunne -- unless he is referring to a training aid for drug dogs." Goode points out, in addition, that Peter Dunne "clearly cannot tell the difference between legalisation, a regime of fines, and a hole in his head."

Goode points out that the ACT party, too, while advocating Zero Tolerance for Crime, refuses to draw any distinction between real crimes for which there should be zero tolerance, and victimless crimes which should be removed from the statute books forthwith.

Goode concludes: "The ACT Party wants to lock people up for 'crimes' against themselves; the Benighted Future Party wants to lock them up for use of imaginary drugs; the Labour and National Parties want to lock them up because they can; the Green Party wants to fine people for smoking cannabis, and lock them up for growing their own or for supplying. Only Libertarianz advocates full, complete and unalloyed legalisation, as a matter of urgency."

"It's Enough to Make You Vote Libertarianz."

ENDS

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