CANNABIS CLUBS PLANNED FOR NORTH

Cannabis connoisseurs could be smoking in specialised clubs across
Northland by the end of the year, says a drug-law reform campaigner.

But Northland police say the plan is "extremely optimistic" and doubt
the clubs would open, given that they are targeting drug offences in
the region.

Auckland man Dakta Green established the Daktory, which until only
days ago had operated for over a year with members smoking the
illegal drug hassle-free at a New Lynn address.

Cannabis was sold and at one point there were 20 different strands
available at the Daktory.

Mr Green said more than 2000 members paid a monthly fee to smoke
within the club's warehouse.

Now the model is planned to be replicated nationwide. At least four
clubs are planned for Northland.

Mr Green expected at least two in Whangarei, with others in
Dargaville and Kaitaia.

"We have had a lot of interest from Northland and especially
Whangarei," he said.

He likened a cannabis clubs to an RSA.

"They exist for the purpose of the membership and are not for profit.
People will go there to acquire cannabis and enjoy smoking it with
like-minded people," Mr Green said.

The clubs were likely to be in industrial areas away from schools and
children.

Organised crime and drugs have been Northland police targets over
recent months.

Head of Northland Police, Superintendent Mike Rusbatch said Northland
Daktories were unlikely to get off the ground.

"It would be extremely optimistic to think such clubs could run in
our area given drug offending and organised crime are priorities for
us. We put significant enforcement and prevention efforts into these
areas," Mr Rusbatch said.

Founding members of the Daktory will launch a nationwide tour at
Waitangi next month. They plan to meet with communities keen to
establish a Daktory and Whangarei is on the list.

"It will be up to communities and volunteers to put up their hands
and make a Daktory happen," Mr Green said.

"Cannabis is not for everyone. I don't advocate to anyone to take it,
but I do advocate that cannabis is not a dangerous product."

Mr Green runs the Daktory and holds the company shares in trust, but
plans to turn the ownership over to a community trust in the future.

Last year 67,508 cannabis plants were ripped out or doused with blue
herbicide spray by Northland police during the annual recovery
operation - 47 per cent of the national haul and 22,000 more plants
than those found the previous season in the region. Police arrested
245 people during the month-long operation.

Methcon drug educator and former police detective Mike Sabin said the
perception cannabis was a soft drug was nonsense and it was a
stepping stone to other harder drugs.

"I get phone calls from parents whose kids started on cannabis then
have gone on to P and they are trying to pull the threads of their
life back together."

Mr Sabin believed cannabis use was stifling the social and academic
abilities of three generations.

Mr Green entered no plea to four cannabis-related charges at the
Waitakere District Court yesterday. The 59-year-old has been remanded
on bail and will reappear in court later this month on charges
relating to the New Lynn Daktory.