OZ Stoners Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 The Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party is launching its National Election Campaign in Sydney on Monday at 1pm outside NSW Police Commissioner Scipione’s Office at 201 Elizabeth St. HEMP President Michael Balderstone believes the Police Commissioners office is a perfect location for a HEMP Party launch. “The Police are always seen as the experts when it comes to Cannabis in Australia, they get the final say. If the Police don’t approve of a change you can bet it won’t happen when it comes to drug laws. They even blocked hemp seed becoming legal in Australia despite everyone else saying lets do it.” “When it comes to proposing laws that are just and non-discriminatory –the Police are seen as the experts, but are they? And where has their advice taken us? Jails across Australia are overflowing, one thousand people a week are busted for weed,– medicinal Cannabis patients buy their pain relief on the black-market, Australian farmers are denied hemp seed and hemp fibre industries –and thousands of Aussies every year are needlessly persecuted by our legal system for no apparent social good. And now, as Cannabis users cannot access their drug of choice, we have serious health problems associated with synthetic chemical substitutes.” “HEMP knows that many Police are frustrated with the war on Cannabis. Most Police understand that they have been hurting Cannabis users rather than protecting them. But unfortunately we have granted our Police a lot of powers that are based on the ‘drug war’ mentality, so this puts the top brass in a difficult position. They are very fond of their ‘special powers’ – like the power to search anyone they think is suspicious, and the power to stop any vehicle, anytime, anywhere, and the power to barge into any Australian house whenever they want entry.” “The Top Brass of the Police know that these powers will come under scrutiny if the Cannabis laws in Australia are liberalised. And they may also be just a little worried that half of their budget will disappear because so much of their work is devoted to policing Cannabis use.” It is no doubt difficult for them to see the huge savings to the public purse available by re-legalising Cannabis. They are expert at making sure they retain as much funding and power as they possibly can. Plus, of course, there is the pressure from various and not all reputable vested interests to maintain the status quo!” We have asked Mr Scipione if he still truly believes Cannabis users are real criminals. Doesn’t he agree the sooner there is quality control and regulations in the Cannabis industry the safer it will be for everyone, including police? “We are launching our National Campaign in Sydney, outside NSW Police Commissioner Scipiones office at 201 Elizabeth Street, at one pm on the Monday before voting, to highlight the fact that the Police are not Cannabis experts.HEMP Party Campaign Launch on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/events/574131519317348 More info Michael Balderstone 0266890326 or a/h 0266897525. Campaign manager Jim Moylan 0439377217. www.australianhempparty.comView Larger MapCopy of the letter to Commissioner Scipione To the NSW Police Commissioner The HEMP Party of Australia sympathises with officers in your command who are currently tasked with enforcing a suite of drug laws that are both unjust and irrational. We make the following petition on their behalf as well as for the 1,000 people busted for Cannabis each week in Australia and the several million of us who use the herb regularly. Police overwhelmingly agree that Cannabis is not a dangerous drug like heroin or speed/ice. Police also agree that the Cannabis cautioning system, although imperfect, is an appropriate and effective way of diverting Cannabis users from being needlessly taken into custody for minor possession charges. The HEMP party therefore requests of the Commissioner that he petition the NSW Parliament on behalf of his officers to further distance the trade in Cannabis from the traffic in truly dangerous drugs by: 1) Expanding the current Cannabis cautioning system to allow the cautioning of those with prior convictions or cautions, 2) Requesting the removal of all Cannabis offences from the Drugs Misuse Act by enacting a Cannabis Act (NSW) to separate and isolate this category of offence from those which are associated with genuinely dangerous drugs, 3) Providing NSW Police officers with the facility to deal with all Cannabis possession offences as regulatory rather than criminal offence, by providing for the issuing of civil fines. The HEMP Party of Australia asks you to make these requests on behalf of the officers of the NSW Police Force who are anxious to be provided with laws that are both just and rational. Sincerely, Michael Balderstone HEMP Party President, 51 Cullen Street Nimbin NSW 2480http://australianhempparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/voteonehemp-a-720x540.jpgView the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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