Submissions on cannabis

Press, 3 December 1982, Page 26

Submissions on cannabis

Parliamentary reporter A Parliamentary select committee has been asked to “decriminalise” cannabis. The committee has been studying the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, which clarifies the definition of cannabis resin. The bill has been introduced to help the courts distinguish cannabis leaf from cannabis resin, which is commonly known as hashish or hash oil. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, cannabis leaf is a class C drug, for which lesser penalties are imposed, while cannabis resin is a class B drug. Submissions by Norml, a society formed to lobby for the “decriminalisation” of cannabis, and by Kate O’Donnell, of Invercargill, said that the provisions relating to the possession of cannabis should ie dropped from the bill.' Cannabis resin did not neces-

sarily have a stronger drug content than cannabis leaf, they said. The strength of the drug depended on where the leaf had been grown. They also objected to a move to allow the courts to identify cannabis leaf and resin on the basis of visual appearance. Plant material became dust if it was old. Ms O’Donnell’s submission said that cannabis leaf and resin were “only two forms of the same harmless herb." Experts all over the world had found that cannabis was not a dangerous drug. “The cost of cannabis law enforcement far outweighs the benefits. Too much money and manpower are being spent on apprehending, processing, and maintaining in institutions people whose behaviour cannot be shown to be damaging to themselves or others. “Lifting restrictions on small-scale cultivation of cannabis for personal use

would provide an alternative source to illegally imported materials," she said. A submission by the New Zealand Law Society also said that the new distinction between cannabis leaf and resin would cause problems. Processed cannabis could have a lower potency than some natural cannabis plant. The amendment would mean that in some cases low-po-tency cannabis preparations would be held to be class B drugs, while plant material with a naturally higher potency would be' held to be class C drugs. In another submission, the New Zealand Medical Association supported a move to clarify controls on the prescription of controlled drugs to drug users. The provision will prohibit doctors from prescribing, administering, or supplying a controlled drug to a person who is dependent on any drug.