Ten years on, the smoke still hangs

By THERESA GARNER

Whangarei psychologist Les Gray had a strange sense of deja vu as he watched Green MP Nandor Tanczos tell the nation on the Holmes show that cannabis was part of his life.

Mr Gray was arrested in May 1989 - and lost a year's supply of cannabis - after appearing on the same programme and declaring that he enjoyed the drug.

He expects Mr Tanczos will fare better than he did - and that was the early indication from police.

"We're 10 years down the track, and we're a lot closer to seeing the law changed than 10 years ago. But, my God, it takes a long time."

Mr Gray, who at 55 is still president of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, recalls his comment on Holmes that sparked four court cases and a national debate on cannabis.

"I decided I wouldn't just admit that I used it. I said, 'Yes thank you, Paul, I enjoy it.' I knew it would antagonise a lot of people, particularly the cannabis cowboys in the police."

Three days later, police swooped on his houseboat and arrested him for possession. The arrest came five years after Mr Gray, then an Education Department psychologist, was sacked from his job for publicly stating his pro-cannabis views.

Mr Gray fought the possession charge, and Judge David McKegg ruled in his favour, saying it struck at the basis of honest debate and freedom of speech that the police had obtained their search warrant as a result of Mr Gray's admission on Holmes.

But the police appealed, and Justice Henry said the dismissal had been exercised on a wrong principle.

Mr Gray failed to overturn the ruling through the Court of Appeal, and ended up back before Judge McKegg.

This time he was fined $100. He resolved to go to jail and fast rather than pay, but an anonymous person came up with the money and nipped the protest in the bud. "I'm not sure if it was John Banks or the Commissioner of Police," he joked yesterday.

He doesn't regret his actions, "though at times I get fed up ... I've had 15 years fronting this issue and surely we could have had it resolved years ago.

"It's still taking people such as Nandor to have the courage to be honest and to state their position bravely and be prepared to face the consequences."

Mr Gray said the current debate was one-sided and "people who want to speak against prohibition dare not in case they get the same treatment I got."

However, he was happy most of the political parties acknowledged the need to review the law.

Mr Gray said prohibition had caused trauma to families and widespread contempt of the police and blocked credible drug education. His long association with the drug doesn't mean he's not partial to other pleasures. "I still enjoy cannabis, and I still enjoy chardonnay as well."