Friday, 16 July, 2004

Alexander: Facts you won't hear from Nandor Tanczos

In the past decade, the number of cannabis-users before the courts who were not facing other criminal charges has fallen by half, United Future law and order spokesman Marc Alexander said today.

"Increasingly, year by year, people on cannabis use charges have had other criminal charges to answer to, running the gamut of violence, disorderly behaviour, property, and traffic offences.

"But you won't hear that from Nandor Tanczos as he puts out more pro-drug propaganda," Mr Alexander said, responding to Mr Tanczos' call again today to have cannabis decriminalised.

"The number of convictions where the use of cannabis was the sole offence halved between 1994 and 2003, from 3453 to 1741, according to Justice Ministry figures.

"People in court for cannabis offences are clearly hugely more likely than the rest of the population to be facing other criminal charges - and often extremely serious ones.

"Last year, in 58% of cases where custodial sentences resulted from cannabis offences, the offender was also guilty of other crimes.

"The Greens are forever telling anyone who will listen that cannabis charges are a waste of police resources and court time. But the reality is that by following their noses to the cannabis smoke, any number of other crimes are solved.

"There seem to be a lot of things that you won't hear from Nandor," Mr Alexander said.

"The fact is that cannabis is hugely interwoven with the world of crime."

ENDS

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