by Keith Locke
There is a very disturbing side to the raids on Switched on Gardener hydroponics store. We learn that the shops are reopening on the condition that staff require customers to produce photographic ID. This is presented as a condition for giving bail to the staff that have been charged.
This bail condition is a clear violation of the Bill of Rights provision against unreasonable search. Those on bail can be subjected to certain constraints, but those constraints cannot be extended to any customer walking into a shop. There is no legal requirement for customers to produce ID unless there is a law governing the sale of that particular consumer item – as with alcohol where it is reasonable for retailers to ask for the ID of those who appear under 18.
In this case the the Police are misusing their powers to require shop staff to help them in their surveillance of citizens purchasing items on sale to people of all ages.
Published in Justice & Democracy by Keith Locke on Thu, April 29th, 2010
Tags: Bill Of Rights, Switched on Gardener
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on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
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Without being a member of any interest group, least of all anything to do with dope, this is clearly an outrageous situation, and kudos to Keith for speaking on it.
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@Josh
Must be stoners then!
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I know of stores where the board game ‘Scrabble’ is sold and as you all know, the lettered tiles that are part of the game can be arranged to make the word CANNABIS.
I’ll
Say
No
More.
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Speaking a middle class white folk myself – I have two cannabis convictions. But your point does stand. It is worse fr those who look different. Police lost interest in me when I got older.
But I do not see why we (the Greens) cop so much shit from some of the cannabis community when we are the ones at the thick end of the politics of the situation. The political reality is that these days cannabis users “stoners” are the new “niggers”. Supporting cannabis law reform is political poison just as supporting homosexual law reform was in the 1960s. Yet the Greens carry on and continue to support it. Because it is right.
But it costs us. Treaty, trade and dope – the issues that cost us, but we do what we do because it is right.
True enough. But so what? We all know that is true (those of us who use our brains) but repeating it over and over to each other does no good at all.
J’Day has an effect, 4:20s have an effect. Submitting to the Law Commission has an effect (I sent mine in last night). The Daktory has a *huge* effect if it continues to work. This is a hard political slog, we are slogging it, but there are huge barriers in our way. The problems we have with alcohol (turning people against rec drugs generally) the problems with smoking rub off on us, the “love to hate stoners” effect, some of those barriers are impossible to break down quickly.
And I am disturbed that there is a market for indoor growing equipment. We should all grow our dope in our gardens or pots on the windowsill. Pots of pot.
Just simply institute sensible drug laws and the problem goes away. Jeesh!
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(alcohol purchase) ID is only required to verify age, not to record who exactly is buying what
For the moment. Overseas, bars are scanning peoples licenses and putting the results in datababases.
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[frog: George, Kevin O Connell is just as entitled to comment here as anyone else is, so long as his comments are relevant to the thread, which they are to this one. And looking back through the thread, much of what he has said here is consistent with the Green policy of harm minimisation, rather than promotes drug use.]
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I agree, frog. His tactics may be just this side of crazy, but his cause is a good one.
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Kevin, prohibition has only been a failure because the politicians have tied the hands of the police behind their backs, and thus our “prohibition” is at best only half hearted. If the government really wanted to get tough on drugs, then you would see that drug prohibition would work and we would not have the problems associated with drugs.
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john-ston, where has there been a successful policy to enforce prohibition of drugs?
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john-ston, what ‘untying’ of the police’s hands do you recommend?
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Can only say that I have never run into anyone inside the Party who misunderstands the issue – and therefore our stated policy – in this way. There are however members who don’t see it as urgent enough to front strongly particularly given the negative backlash it attracts in the public and the media (due to their misunderstanding of the issue).
valis: “tactics just this side of crazy”? my tactics are communication of some of the comprehensive arguments for pot law reform, in an attempt to stir up the green party energy and resources, and kick over a law which is an impediemnt to the overall green agenda, which I support.
All of that is just fine, but you often don’t stop there, but throw in a heap of ad hominem attack that virtually guarantees the people you want to reach will tune you out.
would it be wiser to just shut up and let the cone-of-silence status quo prevail?
Just stick to the issues and leave the personal stuff out.
the Law is a failure because it is wrong, as much as it is wrong because it is a failure
Agree entirely.
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But Keith – in NZ, Records are so studded with Gossip and Rumour it’s laughable.
But some folks have a vested interest in vilification.
Would love to import my Irish Lawyer – I’d give him work from heah to yonder and make us both very rich men.
NZ is in the Reckless position of incriminating ALL it’s people – effectively disabling our family and community structures, rendering our country helpless and hopeless.
Mary Poppins tonite Shane?
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im not on broadband i dont even have a connection at my own home (in country town) so i cant stop often. otherwise i would, and alot. it is nice to have broadband in the local libray for 5and 1/2 hours per week
regards
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I find your posting style very offensive.Pretty low and immature to bring the Nazi Germany into it.
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