Act Stance On Cannabis Will Show Principles Or Politics

Green MP Nandor Tanczos today said Act's position on the legal status of cannabis would be an excellent indication to party members of Act's commitment to either their founding principle of individual freedom or politics.

With Act this week holding their annual conference, and with party members debating the direction the party is taking in parliament, Mr Tanczos said the party's position on cannabis would be a defining issue.

"With Act being founded on a strong platform of individual freedom and personal responsibility, as well as the 'values not politics' slogan, the position of the Act MPs on the issue of cannabis will be a real test for the party," he said.

"In terms of the State unnecessarily intruding into the lives of adults, the issue of cannabis decriminalisation is core Act business. At this conference Act will either decide to stick to it's founding principles or to ditch them.

"Their position on cannabis will be a very clear indication of which path the party has chosen to follow and I challenge the Act party to make cannabis an agenda item at this conference and to publicly state their position on the issue," said Mr Tanczos.

Mr Tanczos said if the party had any commitment whatsoever to individual freedom then they couldn't do anything but support the decriminalisation of the possession of cannabis for personal use.

"The members of the Act party will be well aware of this and Act stand to lose more members - especially any younger ones - if they choose political expediency over a clear matter of principle."

Nandor Tanczos MP: 025 246 5235 Jonathan Hill (press secretary): 04 470 6719, 021 440 090

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