Mana candidate's support for Cannabis not exaggerated

It is not an exaggeration to say Mana's Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidate Te Hamua Nikora supports legalising Cannabis, Michael Appleby says.

Mr Nikora made it clear that he supports legalisation of Cannabis and releasing people who are in prison for Cannabis, which is in line with ALCP policy.

"We commend Mr Nikora's views but it appears that the Mana Party have tried to moderate his stance on this issue," ALCP candidate Michael Appleby said.

"Mr Nikora even called his company T.H.C. which stands for Te Hamua Communications and features Rastafarian imagery on his twitter profile."

A Mana spokesman Malcolm Mulholland said Te Hamua "does not support full legalisation" but at the Native Affairs debate Mr Nikora clearly said "I'd rather see it legalised".

Mr Appleby said Mana deny that Cannabis laws are a key issue in Ikaroa-Rawhiti, despite Maori suffering disproportionately from arrests.

"Te Hamua has given himself every chance of winning the by-election by being honest and up-front with the voters and now Mana are censoring him on the Cannabis issue."

"He has said he was a social Cannabis smoker in the past."

ENDS

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