Party says no to pot...

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 1

Party says no to pot...

The Labour Party conference yesterday voted overwhelmingly against a remit calling for the legalisation of marijuana — after being told by a delegate that he had smoked some recently and found it had no harmful effects, the Press Association reports. Mr S. Waru (Onehunga branch), speaking in favour of legalisation, said he tried marijuana and found it tasted like a nip of whisky. “I’m tired of the young people of New Zealand being told not to use marijuana,’’ he told delegates on the conference’s second day. “If they want it. give it to them.’’ The conference was considering whether to let the original remit calling for legalisation of marijuana and State control stand, or whether to accept the policy committee’s recommendation that an intensive study be made of the varying approaches to the use. abuse. and legal treatment of drugs, with special emphasis on the differing British and American practices. Opposing the committee’s recommendation, Mr D. J. McCaffery (Three Kings branch) 'said the conference was suspending judgment and delaying the problem. He proposed delaying a

decision on the matter until 1983 — “you will have seven .years to make up your minds on this one.” Mr P. Blight (Tomoana freezing union) said it was ludicrous that there were still people going about saying marijuana was harmful. The opposite point of view’ was taken by the former Minister of Police, Mr M. A. Connelly (Wigram), who said there should be a firm policy against drug abuse. “There’s no question about it. People graduate from soft drugs to hard ... I w r ould support the delegates’ vote against this and strike a blow against drug abuse,” Mr Connelly said. Mr P. Boorman (Masterton) told the conference that he had a limited reading knowledge of the question of drug abuse but said he saw no evidence of a link between soft drugs such as marijuana and hard drugs such as heroin. But, he said, there was also no evidence that making marijuana legal W’ould make it easier to control drug abuse. “Every day the alcohol problem gets worse,” he said. “If we are going to take a tough line, then let us take a firmer line W’ith alcohol.”