The Legalise Cannabis Party launched its Senate campaign in NSW outside Kevin Hogan’s flooded office in Molesworth street yesterday.
President of the Legalise Cannabis Australia (Formerly Australian HEMP Party) Michael Balderstone, said the party know that Hogan is comfortable with cannabis having grown up in the area and knowing people who use it. ‘Why does he never speak out supporting us? Because his mouth is taped shut by the National Party, is the answer and enough is enough.
Too ridiculous
‘As the Federal representative of Nimbin and possibly the electorate with the highest cannabis consumption in Australia, it is just too ridiculous. Our jails are crowded and our courts full. The arrest rates for cannabis are higher than ever even though legal prescriptions are soaring and thousands of locals now have legal weed.
Mr Balderstone said there are two major problems. ‘Users are not allowed to drive and their legal weed is very expensive. Not to mention it is virtually all grown indoors and overseas.
‘Why does Kevin Hogan not support us growing our own medicine? And how can he stand by and watch hundreds of us busted for driving and losing their licences for a minuscule amount of cannabis in their saliva, possibly from using it days before? Absolutely nothing to do with impaired driving.’
Senate candidates for New South Wales and Queensland
Groups Q is Mr Balderstone and Gail Hester who are the party’s two candidates from New South Wales and Group C in Queensland are Bernie Bradley and Suzette Luyken
Mr Balderstone said the evidence is in truckloads now from overseas jurisdictions which have had legal cannabis for decades that legalising has only good consequences. ‘Many American states have seen suicides, domestic violence and car accidents statistics fall significantly since legalising.
‘The economic benefits are obvious but the social implications are even more important, especially for our young people.
Pot an easy bust
‘He knows full well cannabis is the easy bust – being so bulky and smelly – and he must know young people choose to use powders and pills instead to avoid getting caught.
‘Did he notice in Canberra that the latest wastewater drug monitoring report by ACIC, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, has shown locals consumed cannabis in record amounts last year but used way less of other more harmful drugs? ‘Has the sky fallen in at all in the ACT where people can grow two pot plants each now?’
For more information visit: legalise.org.au.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
