MILD GREEN PRESS RELEASE 19 July 2002

Election 2002: DeWorm Law and Order- LEGALISE say Mild Greens

"If cannabis is decriminalised there'll be a lot (500,000) less criminals", say the Mild Greens. And a lot less criminality, prejudice, intolerance, mistrust, alienation and mutual community disrespect amongst New Zealanders.

The Mild Greens say the tough on sentencing "law and order" debate is vacuous and the real problem is that rule of law has gone "out the window" in NZ.

Authority has severely debased itself by criminalising of what should be innocent R18 herbal commerce and consumption. Politicians are letting the (in)Justice sector get away with murder, say the Mild Greens.

"The problem with stiffer sentencing of criminals is that the system is manifestly fed on "offenders" being miss-apprehended and sentenced for a non-crime".

United Future leader Dunne was spectacularly right about one thing during Monday night's televised worm forum- THE DEBATE ON CANNABIS REQUIRES RESOLUTION - however that resolution should be based on evidence, not weasel words, say the Mild Greens.

The 45th parliament (1996-99) found cannabis prohibition ineffective in containing cannabis use (Inquiry into the Mental Health Effects of Cannabis, 1998), and that (tobacco/alcohol) related double standards undermined "effective anti-drug education". The Inquiry strongly recommended review of the appropriateness of existing policy and reconsideration of the legal status.

"It is an indictment of Labour's leadership that this process has not been responsibly and expeditiously undertaken and completed once and for all."

Considering drugs are touted as the gateway to crime in NZ, the stable door needs some attention say the Mild Greens - who favour "early intervention" against insidious and counter-productive drug laws.

"We are sick to death of the tough on crime rhetoric, but more so the conspicuous inability of public representatives and agencies to explore the obvious link between criminalisation, 70% youth uptake, and crime".

What is needed is a rational definition of crime, with cannabis deglamourised and off the pitch'", said Wigram candidate for the mild-green PCP coalition, Blair Anderson.

"Voters do not deserve to be treated as prohibition fodder." Stop the contempt and pandering to the middle New Zealand's ignorance of Harm Minimisation principles. Give us truth and liberation say the Mild Greens - Uphold the rights of individuals where these do not unreasonably impinge on others.

Unrighteous, inappropriate criminalisation of the herb is at the root of criminality, say the Mild Greens. Particularly disaffected are the disproportionably criminalised young unemployed, Pacific Islanders and Maori, mostly males who go on to become repeat/serious offenders.

As the good people of NZ are appalled and bewildered by violent crime, the Mild Greens say unequivocally that recent victims such as pizza worker Marcus Doig and bank officer John Vaughan would likely not have been so senselessly murdered if NZ were free of senseless and illegitimate drug-law-driven social injustice.

Just because TV1's "worm" reveals public fear, prejudice and confusion over drugs and crime, that's no reason not to apply intellectual rigour to answering "what's really criminalising people in New Zealand" said Mr Anderson.

"Fix what's broken", say the Mild Greens. Vote against prohibition.

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Blair Anderson
PCP Coalition - Mild Greens - Wigram Candidate
techno junk and grey matter (est 1977)
corporate technology consultant. mailto:blair@technologist.com
Mild Green Initiatives phone ++64 3 389-4065
Web site http://www.mildgreens.com
News forum news://www.reddfish.co.nz/alcp
"Blairs Brain on Cannabis" PlainsFM 96.9 every Wed 10:00pm

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