Kiwi Cannabis

New Zealand is a remote, mountainous island nation located southeast of Australia and north of Antarctica in the Pacific Ocean. Comprised of several landmasses and many smaller islands, similar to Okinawa or Hawaii, New Zealand is populated by the descendants of English colonists that migrated in 1840 and the Maori, who are native Polynesians that arrived in 1250. If you have ever seen HBO’s Game of Thrones or any of the films based on The Lord of the Rings, you’ve seen New Zealand.

Although New Zealanders didn’t come into contact with cannabis until after World War II, according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation nearly 42 percent of adults over the age of 15 throughout the country have used it. Smoking it is also very common in Maori communities, who call it “taru rauhea,” or “tarukino.” Authorities estimate that 64.6 percent of Maori men and women between the ages of 16-64 use cannabis, although smoking it is not a part of their religious ceremonies. A study funded by the United Nations concluded that New Zealand has the ninth highest level of cannabis use on the planet, next to Canada and Jamaica.

However, cannabis is still illegal in New Zealand. The Misuse of Drugs Act of 1975 means that possession of the substance is illegal, with the maximum penalty being three months in prison and a $500 fine. Cultivating the plant and selling it can lead to seven years in prison. People who make or sell cannabis oil or other products face up to 14 years. Even owning a cannabis pipe can mean one year in prison.

“42 percent of adults over the age of 15 throughout the country have used it. Smoking it is also very common in Maori communities, who call it ‘taru rauhea,’ or ‘tarukino.’”

In addition, anyone found in possession of 100 joints, or 28 grams of cannabis, is automatically presumed to be a dealer according to the law. Police even regularly distribute pamphlets to the local public warning them of the clues that indicate local cannabis cultivation, including seeing people walking around at night with flashlights and shovels, and admonish loyal citizenry to report the hooligans to local authorities at once.

The Mongrel Mob is a group that was formed in Hastings, a city on the east coast of New Zealand, in 1968. Although similar to biker gangs like the Hell’s Angels or the Mongols, they don’t necessarily ride motorcycles, but they did become one of the largest, most successful criminal organizations in New Zealand by cultivating and selling cannabis. Anyone else caught doing it by them is usually dealt with in a rather violent manner.

Although there are Caucasian members, a majority of the group are Maori, who are as proud of their blue tribal facial tattoos as they are of their gang patches. In 2013 an army of two hundred police across the nation raided a dozen headquarters for the gang and at least ten leaders were arrested for growing and distributing cannabis, as well as LSD and methamphetamines. Over 9,000 plants were confiscated.

The raids were so successful that across the nation, the resulting shortage of cannabis made headlines. As the street price doubled, many legal experts and politicians spoke out against the law in support of legalizing medical cannabis, citing the success stories throughout America, Europe and Canada. A federal report known as the Drug Harm Index indicated that every year, the police spent $90 million dollars investigating and arresting cannabis users. The same report also revealed that an additional $109 million went to persecuting citizens in the legal court system. More than 65 percent of all criminal drug offences in New Zealand were because of cannabis. This report reinforced the findings of a New Zealand federal organization known as the Law Commission that recommended legalizing it in 2011, as well as reducing the legal penalties for recreational use, because of the waste of tax dollars.

For many years a growing number of politicians, including members of the community, have stepped forward to legalize cannabis for everyday use, medicinal or otherwise. One organization, the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, is moving to allow cannabis to be taxed and legalized, much like America’s state of Colorado. They argue that if cannabis were to be legalized, citizens would be less likely to be endangered or incarcerated, for interacting with criminals to obtain it.

Other advocacy groups, including the New Zealand Drug Foundation and United in Compassion, have formed alliances on behalf of the public to pressure legal authorities and politicians into legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes, citing research papers written by reputable scientists that explain how it is effective in treating ailments such as epilepsy, autism and some mental disorders. A recent poll conducted by NORML indicated that the majority of the public likes legalization.

A politician and celebrity known as Ken Morgan, a.k.a. Dakta Green, has lobbied to reform the laws regarding cannabis ever since retiring from his job as electorate chairman for the National Party and advocate for New Zealand’s Saturday Trading and Casinos, a rather challenging position where he juggled law and politics one behalf of local businesses. He regularly speaks with the media and local authorities and is the founder of a private smoking club known as The Daktory, operating out of West Aukland. There he invites critics to partake of the plant in order to see firsthand if it is as dangerous as they think. Although Morgan reports that he’s had a few friendly visits from the police, so far his club is still in operation. That is a good first step.