A national indoor gardening chain would not have turned a profit if it hadn't been knowingly supplying equipment and advice to cannabis growers, police say.

Directors, managers and staff from the 16 Switched On Gardener stores – which are advertised on…

Can I score some stephen "four leaf" clover? I heard the right flyspray takes you to the moon.

Bro, just walk around until you find a tinny house (clearly indicated by a pair of shoes tied together by the laces and slung over the powerlines, right?).

Truthfully, though... I'd give…

just last month a small-scale indoor grower without much of an IQ decided to get rid of the bugs on his almost ripe buds by spraying then with fly-spray!!! [...] Do you know who grows your smoke????

Of course, the gangs have been "souping up" their product using flyspray for…

Do you know who grows your smoke????

I do. He would never dream of such sacrilege – his only insecticide is a tiny pair of scissors.

Yes, I have to suck on my sticky stinky skunk. That alone is enough to make a man psychotic, not even knowing an organic gardener.

How about this scary story I heard from a Gro shop person: just last month a small-scale indoor grower without much of an IQ decided…

Yes, I have to suck on my sticky stinky skunk. That alone is enough to make a man psychotic, not even knowing an organic gardener.

Which takes us around full circle. We should be able to include a pot plant outside with all the other pot plants!!

Hard to get Bush Weed though.

Oh.. poor dear :)

Gimmee the old fashioned Bush Weed anyday.

Amen, brother.

Seconded.
And wont the little plants be happy when it rains? (I hear thunder)

Gimmee the old fashioned Bush Weed anyday.

Amen, brother.

So-called "skunk" does contain higher than normal concentrations of the main psychoactive compound, a molecule called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). What is less well known is that another constituent, cannabidiol (CBD), has been eliminated from skunk through selective breeding to increase the…

Also, try being a conventionally longer-haired woman and washing with nothing but water so your 'natural oils' don't get 'stripped', and see how many jobs you get after a series of stringy-rats-tailed interviews.

I was mostly meaning soap on my body. Shampoo tends to go on me after using it,…

Of course flax is really the best option for NZ as we move out of the carbon economy, we are doing that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne9UF-pFhJY

Making your own soap use [sic] fat & caustic soda

Yes, I've seen such soap described as "organic".

This despite the fact that much production of NaOH still uses the mercury cell process, which is one of the main causes of environmental mercury pollution. It would in theory be possible to…

cause we're inhibited so and sos

Compared to say, Koreans, sure, that argument could be made.

You need to be here. Very good for your hair.

If nothing else works out, I'll get back to you about that one.

@ BarNZy,
Yep, that's an actual photo.

The hippies! The hippies are here! Run for your lives!

My type of people. At last I've found my place: D

Decriminalise. Rehabilitate. Educate.

word.

re: Coke. Drank it almost everyday for 5 years. It stripped the enamel off my teeth, Now I require 7 fillings. I didn't see much…

Can I suggest Olive oil or Hemp oil as the Hydrocarbon chain for your soap molecule?

In English, please. :)

The evil Babylon invented soap around 5000years ago, evil Babylon.

OH GOD THE ITCHING.

But it's ok if your'e stoned. It becomes easy to ignore. Y'know it would then be obvious you're a stoner cos you are then just dirty.
@3410,
If you dye your hair, any bugs in the hair will die a painful death and cleanse the scalp…

I just hate that for two days after a shampoo wash I look like this.

So, that's what you look like without your sunglasses.
The red eye is a bit of a give away.
;-)

it's the shampoo that causes greasy hair

Yeah, I read that too. And in my teens, I even tried the non-shampoo 'restoring your natural balance' thing. I have two things to say about that experiment: A) it does not work; and B) no one ever tells you about the itching.…

Also, try being a conventionally longer-haired woman and washing with nothing but water so your 'natural oils' don't get 'stripped', and see how many jobs you get after a series of stringy-rats-tailed interviews.

The thing is, it's the shampoo that causes greasy hair. As it strips the oil from the…

strip their bodies of natural oils on daily basis, for the purposes of social conformity

The hippies! The hippies are here! Run for your lives! ;)

(Also, try being a conventionally longer-haired woman and washing with nothing but water so your 'natural oils' don't get 'stripped', and see how many…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3255670/University-forum-targets-binge-drinking

...curiously, I never actually use soap, except on my hands. But I respect people's right to strip their bodies of natural oils on daily basis, for the purposes of social conformity. If that's what it takes for people to feel clean...

Finally, this topic arises.

Right, I need a good…

should we ban soap?

... and if that happened you know that within the week there'd be black market body cleansers being sold from somebody's back door at inflated prices. Most likely, the soap would contain dodgy ingredients; maybe something harmless or perhaps not (too much caustic soda perhaps?). There'd…

Time for some organic Hemlock tea and then see how your body deals with it & of course there is no judging without having first tried it.

Of course. Nothing like hemlock awareness to be able to take if that's your choice eh? So you first JT

Sophie, will try it.

Nothing like experience , and, happy to say I refuse to judge because if I haven't tried it ,I cannot judge.

Those who don't experience often are the most judgmental, though. And they are uninhibited in their right to say so. One of the worst outcomes of prohibition.

Drugs have been a part of their lives but not all. Like anything, tolerance becomes the adult decision we make, (I like to think, when we grow up) and we then choose as to paths we take.

I agree.

cause alcohol made us do it.

Like all drugs, just catalysts…

BUT: I think drunkenness is to some extent socially constructed. We all know of the studies where people are given OJ but told they have screwdrivers, and behave like…

Taking the time to ponder and attempt to form an independent opinion as to their collective meaning regardless of the initially perceived apparent lack…

but I will back my experiences against your beliefs

As I'm guessing you've never been formally diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, it's more likely that you're backing your belief in others experiences against my experiences.

Sorry if you couldn't make sense of this

"Incompetent medics, parlaying to a theocracy of victimhood"…

Emphatically not so (aside from the fact that your words in quotes are nonsensical.)

We are – our brains are- extraordinary – and extraordinarily vulnerable. Believe what you like – and you obviously will -…

But while I believe cannabis may be able to bring on a schizophrenic episode in someone who already has the condition

While I'm in total agreement about this, I don't think enough is said about the potential to use cannabis to suppress (mild) paranoid schizophrenic episodes.

"oh that wasn't real,…

possibly sometimes one gets the explanations one looks for.

sounds like that to me.

3 of them came from the area I've made my home in, and the others I knew in the Greymouth-to-Punakaiki area.

Ah! Well, that explains it. ;)

But seriously... I can't argue with your observations, except to say that possibly sometimes one gets the explanations one looks for.

before it was realised they were smoking cannabis, and subsequently became seriously ill.

Personally, I feel the drug is any easy scapegoat. Sure drugs can dishevel your consciousness, memory, mental faculties. And you can choose to subsequently reorganize your consciousness, memories and mental faculties. to allow things to remain in…

3410: none of the ten had been mentally unwell – that their families or friends observed – before smoking cannabis*. 3 of them came from the area I've made my home in, and the others I knew in the Greymouth-to-Punakaiki area.

Edit: before…

Getting really stoned is a complete pain in the ass as a grown-up. You can't do anything, and it's not really even pleasant.

You can't do everything, that's for sure. But I'd dispute that it's not pleasant. It can be unpleasant if you are called upon, but if you really…

Your quote comes from Elbert Hubbard

In short, correlation ≠ causation.

Yeah, indeed also, if there is correlation, often the cause and effect are confused.

That said, I don't think pot helps the certified deranged any.

The 10 'deranged by smoking pot' people I know *were* certified by competent medics.

Certified deranged *and* smoking pot, perhaps, but that's not the same thing. If nothing else, it's well known that mentally unwell people self-medicate in search for some relief from their condition.

In short, correlation ≠ causation.

The 10 'deranged by smoking pot' people I know *were* certified by competent medics (3 of them are unable to work, and are still in the mental…

Marijuana tends to be the intoxicant of choice for the athletic, in Vancouver anyway

It's how I prefer it, whilst doing something intense. Which means it's linked to exhilaration for me, so I've never got into the trap of using it to help me sleep.

I'm a little dubious, anecdata-ly,…

Perhaps that is the issue – using pot in moderation is quite unlikely because the idea is to get really stoned, not to just get a very, very mild stoning.

When I was about 23, maybe.

Getting really stoned is a complete pain in the ass as a grown-up. You…

In Whistler Being Stoned in No Big Deal – that sure as hell is the best explaination for the sacrine sweet movie they play for tourist.

Is it this one by Douglas Coupland?

Everything's Gone Green

using pot in moderation is quite unlikely because the idea is to get really stoned, not to just get a very, very mild stoning

I'm a little dubious, anecdata-ly, about this theory.

My point was about acknowledging the very real health risks, not criminality.

Sigh. As I said before "Life itself, is fatal" in 100% of cases of life death is the only outcome. Plus the fact that life is full of risk, soap is more dangerous than cannabis, you slip on…

Alcohol psychosis was extremely common in the house I was growing up in and seems to be relatively common amongst…

Russell massaged that as they "didn't find a strong association", followed by, "there's no consensus", we are taking about the link between smoking and cancer.

Grrrrr. I know that you're terribly certain about everything, but I "massaged" nothing. I pointed out that there is some conflicting evidence about the lung…

Stephen also wrote the claim dope made you a "cautious driver" & "was not associated with lung-related cancers, even among heavy users ", Russell massaged that as they "didn't find a strong association", followed by,…

) – most importantly, I know – as in being part of my life here on the Coast – of TEN people deeply deranged by using cannabis.

And yet medically it seems to offer so much as a natural painkiller.I just want it studied, graded and put in a puffer…

b)alcoholic pyschosis is quite rare

"Not surprisingly, alcohol dependence was predictive of psychotic experience in a general adult population survey in Great Britain. The reported two-fold higher risk was independent of other risk factors for psychotic symptoms including drug dependence, suggesting that alcohol dependence per se doubles the risk of…

But these two enjoy/want a relaxing recreational drug and cannabis serves them well without the addiction, the mess or the violence.

So, same, same, but not the same. Other than that, I got the impression from most of the last 11 pages that most understand the hypocrisy of alcohol laws…

Early on there was the slightly insane comment that all nz mass murderers used cannabis. How about the name Stanley Graeham for a bit of reality.

Its batty fear mongering by those who don't have a clue which is responsible for such daft beliefs…

Keir, that really just sounds snobish & I don't see it as valid except for size, but no Uni is openly talking of moving into the City (3kms east) in any numbers.

I don't think it is snobbery. CPIT has 30,000 enrolled students a year. It has 6,000 EFTS. Roughly speaking,…

Does anyone really still do it, or is this a case of a problem being manufactured to justify more laws that make it seem like the Govt is 'really cracking down on the drug problem'?

Well I know that some still do, and lets face it we are talking a…

Perhaps I'm just more comfortable with the K Road flavour of muntedness: those are my wasted loons.

I know that in my days of wandering CHCH by night it was fairly probable that any munters I met would be my munters

Codeine, paracetamol and aspirin?

To reduce ability to get these will just move Pharmacies back into the category of "places to rob" much like they were way back in the day, for those that require them for baking. Aspirin restriction, is particularly harsh for many using that drug as a…

I have to be careful of the non-steroid anti-inflammatories so I avoid Nurophen Plus.

It's a headline for me. I may as well be swallowing jellybeans as take panadol without the "deine". Once more, the abuse by a small number limits the access for the majority.

To be fair, the appearance at ED of middle-aged women with gastric bleeding because they've got addicted to…

Who would have guessed codine was an "opium-linked drug".

'Guessed'? It's knowledge, bro.

I guess it's not a big deal if you never use it anyway, but please, everyone, pay attention to what's in pills that you take! Otherwise, how can you answer accurately if your doctor asks if you…

My father used to swallow handfuls of 'AP Codeine' in the 50s for headaches. It's been available for…

I think the convergence of threads shows how important environment is in social policy.

Who would have guessed codine…

Pkus: it doesnt publish weirdo books.

Is it similar to Auckland University of Technology University?

(aka Auckland University of Tautology).

It's true that the centre of town is pretty deserted, partly because the suburbs are pretty vampiric, and also because, duh, the four aves…

One thing we really need is NYs broken windows law. That will fix up the vacant or dero buildings.

Putting pressure on the owners of those buildings — eg the eyesore that is the Occidental — to keep them maintained would be a much better idea.

Here's a theory — in my limited experience, and I wait to be corrected by someone who lives there, those Christchurch streets are somewhat empty (perhaps in fact reflecting the dearth of inhabitants) compared to the Auckland and Wellington equivalents.

That might well be it. Although last time, I recall…

not keen on different rules or actions taken against tourists. That just panders to the worse and is undignified.

I agree. and so in consideration of the largeish tourist pop at any given time, maybe a little fine-tuning...for all.

why does it give me the shits in a way that the Auckland CBD doesn't? I wouldn't hesitate to stroll along K Road on my own at 2am — it's actually quite fun. Various central Christchurch streets? Not so much.

Here's a theory — in my limited experience, and I…

It's sad you don't see a city as residential, but that is NZ.

Not at all.

I'm now officially at a loss as to how the respective population figures have been calculated.

In the last census, Christchurch's central city had 7653 residents. The Auckland CBD had 17,937.

And yet on…

I'll go anywhere anytime, but Manchester Street north of Kilmore at night is the street sex industry. So the danger (to you) is from pimps.
Still a brisk and purposeful stride won't have you hasselled.
Feel safe…

Russell, your confusing fear with risk. As the article goes on to say there has been no change or a decrease in risks.

No, violent crime rose 13.4% in the last period in central Christchurch. It fell 5% in Auckland.

DISTRICT RECORDED CRIME PER 10,000 POPULATION, BY AREA

Years ending…

Alot of that fear has been imported. Bain & Weatherston trials = Dunedin.
The house of horrors guy is from Hamilton.

From the Police Stats page 4
DISTRICT…

how were the cops to know your group were tourists?

nz pop. 4m+

tourists annually 2.5m

a stab in the dark.

"Tourism plays a significant role in New Zealand's economy. Tourism contributes $12.8 billion (or 8.9%) to New Zealand’s total GDP and supports nearly 200,000 full-time equivalent jobs (9.9%…

how were the cops to know your group were tourists?

ze fake accents, of course

Apart from…

Really? I just never think about walking along the street drinking.

maybe I'm a hooligan. old habit.

Chris I could draw you a Pub Crawl

Or perhaps we could just do one, on intravenous tequila

I've never been done for lack of a cycle helmet.

Same, just **ze…

A good 15 minute walk without a drink, whilst encouraging people not to drink and drive.

Really? I just never think about walking along the street drinking.

I'm trying to look through the fine print of the bylaws now to see if the journey (with open vessels) could be legally…

Hey, we halved our homocide rate! You're killing me with statistics, I'll be on it tomorrow :)

Fair call. Wellington, that's where they do the murderin', from memory.

It appears you can actually have a beer with with your fish and chips at one part of the waterfront, and Victoria Park is under a the same 10pm to 8am liquor ban…

1. are confrontations and idle threats a successful means of improving the atmos? Based on the flurry of words I heard after the police drove off, no.

2. Is the law being adhered to? The individual breaking the law being a New Zealand resident, so also no.…

I'm with the ladies. I feel much safer in the CBDs of Auckland or Wellington than I do in Christchurch on a Friday night.

Same.

Ever been to Paris?

Sure, a few times.

If you're unlucky and policemen in a bad mood, they can ask you 11 to 38 euros…

Welcome to New Zealand, empty your bottle or we'll arrest you.

Ever been to Paris?

Christchurch is much safer than any other city in NZ, still walk in groups at nights [edit] & always has been.

Not quite true, according to the police statistics. Canterbury district had 442 grievous assaults in the year to June — vs 387 for Auckland district off. Its overall rate for…

You're a bit at cross-purposes with yourself here, Chris.

Yes, I know. not so black and white. I have no doubt that Auckland streets have an improved atmosphere as a result of the law. "improved atmosphere' is exactly what I imagine they were going for when they introduced the legislation,…

There may be a few members of the Cult of Brown who'll have a word or two to say about that.

Some people insist on instant. I've got whiskey and Karajoz in there too, if it ever comes to that, and the instant will be hidden, just like dak is…

some of you may like to see what i wrote for the Herald a decade ago when decriminalisation was the issue.

Did they run it?

instant coffee....My duty as a good host

There may be a few members of the Cult of Brown who'll have a word or two to say about that.

But after forging through 250 odd posts, it looks like the whole debate is in good hands.

My own attitude to the evil weed is that it's something to keep…

log;
28/12/2009 20:14.Armagh/Gloucester: Stopped 4 geeks and a model with an open vessel. model emptied her Sol into rubbish bin. Situation neutralized.

I see unenforced laws as a kind of security measure, were someone committing an actual crime, the unenforced laws are an extra arrow in the authorities bow when charging someone for vandalism or something.

In that case, we should probably make everything we can possibly think of illegal, and just…

Corruption exists here. The whole reason for tipping it out is due to the confiscated alcohol being drunk by the police themselves in the square…

I don't see the point of laws that are not enforced. That encourages too much discretion in the police which leads to arbitrariness in the application of the law and the opportunity for corruption.

Hey Peter, I see unenforced laws as a kind of security measure, were someone committing an…

Come to think of it: isn't it illegal for schools to allow random checks on students?

In the political climate surrounding drug use it would appear that "Morality" overrides "Legality" when it comes to "Stamping out this menace"
By all means take methamphetamine use into account for sentencing someone for committing…

Geez. I have a problem with this Guy's attitude.

Mike Sabin strongly supports drug education in school and believes the Government has missed the wider issue. He argues that demand for drugs will continue as long as we have a policy of harm minimisation (accepting that drug use occurs and…

Mike Sabin strongly supports drug education in school and believes the Government has missed the wider issue. He argues that demand for drugs will continue as long as we have a policy of harm minimisation (accepting that drug use…

Here in Dundee Scotland you cannot drink in public either in much of the city. In the US there is the hypocrisy of bottles in brown paper bags. I think it is quite civilised in both UK and NZ, I don't see the point of laws that are not…

(But I can't help thinking Price Buster copied the use of a machine gun cocking as percussion from M.I.A.)

Though nothing wrong with a little postneorealism.

It's a lovely film that.

The Dutch, not being anal retentive wowsers (they exported those) are fine with that. Sure, it's illegal to wholesale weed, but the cops have many greater priorities

This style of insurance legislation doesn't seem to have caught on in N (to the letter of the law) Z much.

On a…

the cops have many greater priorities, like murder and bicycle theft, and never quite get around to enforcing that law.

I, personally, would like to put my hand up and say that I would be happy for a surprisingly large range of substances to be legalised if it freed up…

There's a law with one eye closed. "You can sell it, but it has to appear by magic, OK?"

The Dutch, not being anal retentive wowsers (they exported those) are fine with that. Sure, it's illegal to wholesale weed, but the cops have many greater priorities, like murder and bicycle…

This rule keeps them all acting very responsibly – imagine if all pubs in New Zealand had to operate this way!

Which is an interesting point; why should we expect legal intoxication venues here to be like Dutch legal intoxication venues and not, er, NZ legal intoxication venues?

I am…

because they only legalised the front end retail sale and not the cultivation or wholesale supply to the shops.

There's a law with one eye closed. "You can sell it, but it has to appear by magic, OK?"

My problem is with the way in which you have presented your argument – painting a picture of cannabis as a benign drug by constantly comparing it to alcohol and tobacco.

Shay I realise you support decriminalisation (or legalisation) and you are just applying some constructive criticism…

cannawater on the supermarket shelf? marijuagum from the bottleshop? article in viva with the best cookie recipes?

How about Martha Stewart's pot brownies? See
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg Bake Brownies

Racial bias in the criminal justice system is rampant. African American men, in particular, are overrepresented in all criminal justice statistics: arrests, victimizations, incarceration and executions.

From the Report of the NZ Health Select Committee, August 2003:

"In New Zealand, Maori would appear to be at greater risk of harm…

@3410 – Do you refer to communications like this one, from the CEO of BAT to Dunne:

Yes. Where there's smoke, there's fire. ;)

[edit: Stephen, hadn't noticed you already linked this, but I think it deserves to be inline]

I too didn't see that until after I'd posted.

Answer: All young druggies.

Thanks a bunch for the link to Rat Park, I was unaware of it. I agree that if you are happy then you can easily reject drugs. I have always been perfectly happy in my own skull. I don't even like being drunk, I stop at 'fairly merry'.…

Dear Mr Dunne,

Paul Adams has asked me to send you the enclosed £100 to help pay for your "Awayday". I do hope you will enjoy yourselves.

If at all possible, I should be…

Racial bias in the criminal justice system is rampant. African American men, in particular, are overrepresented in all criminal justice statistics: arrests, victimizations, incarceration and executions.

This imbalance is largely the result of the "war on drugs." Although…

Our local situation looks rather saner by comparison, but only by comparison. I agree with everything Rich…

I still find it odd that normally intelligent people still consider that the correct response to someone using drugs is to punish then to the point of locking them up and depriving their children of a parent or two.

Can't be bothered finding the link now, but the American Bar…

"we should give up on fighting this wrong, because it's not working"

Well, I never used the word 'wrong'. That was your interpretation.

But since that where we're at: in my opinion, current policy and enforcement does far, far more harm than good, for example by giving organised crime an…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXjrMU0jpAE

I say we make them restricted substances, only available to those over 18.

Anyway, on topic: I'm mildly surprised that most of the arguments in this thread have crystallised around health and harm reduction, rather than practicality.

While I recognise your point, I don't like the argument "we should give up on fighting this wrong, because it's not working". If something is wrong,…

Don't know about that

Well, yes, when I said "[l]ibel laws prevent me..." I should perhaps have explained that I meant that I was not sure enough to make any bold accusations (hence "as I understand it".) Nevertheless, I feel safe in suggesting that his nickname "Peter Dunhill" is no…

"Marijuana is becoming increasingly popular with teens in the US, as they smoke less cigarettes and slow down on binge drinking and the use of methamphetamines, according to a survey released…

Edit: smoking dope that is.

the furries scene in Entourage came to mind

That scene was both hilarious and disturbing in more or less equal measure. That which has been seen cannot be unseen.

Anyway, on topic: I'm mildly surprised that most of the arguments in this thread have crystallised around health and harm reduction,…

Irrational old naysayers like Dunne will die eventually.

He's not being irrational at all. Politically savvy is what he is. Very, very savvy.

Libel laws prevent me from being specific, but – as I understand it – the guy has certain "interests."

Don't know about that, but just take a…