| Graphic: Emerald Triangle News |
| Police in New Zealand are soooo helpful! Now they want to tell Kiwis what they can and can’t read. |
Police in New Zealand, in a secret meeting with Internal Affairs departmental heads, told them to try to get marijuana magazines banned nationwide, official documents have revealed.
According to the documents, police hope to have NORML News completely banned, as well as High Times and Cannabis Culture magazines.
No decision has been made yet on censoring the magazines, reports Scoop.
Police had previously lied their asses off, denying that they were involved with sending cannabis magazines to the censors.
A request by NORML New Zealand under the Official Information Act revealed the attempt to censor marijuana information.
Three issues of NORML News were given to the censors after massive raids on indoor gardening stores, code named Operation Lime, were conducted across the country on May 7.
A spokesperson for the Censorship unit told media at the time that there was “nothing to suggest” the request for a ban had come from the police. The Secretary of Internal Affairs claimed he was just “seeking guidance.”
Suspecting there was more to the situation than met the eye, NORML News editor Chris Fowlie wrote to the Secretary of Internal Affairs under the Official Information Act, requesting any documents he held on the marijuana magazine.
The documents arrived Thursday, revealing two police officers arranged a meeting with Internal Affairs department heads on May 31, “during which the existence of several publications dealing with the cultivation of cannabis and other illegal activity was discussed.”
The names of the police officers involved have been withheld because Internal Affairs claims making the information available would “be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law.” Mmm-hmm.
Police provided to Internal Affairs a property sheet that provides a strong link to the Operation Lime raids, the documents reveal.
Police requested that the Secretary of Internal Affairs pursue a “Serial Publication Order,” which would mean all existing and future copies of of NORML News, High Times and Cannabis Culture magazines would be prohibited in New Zealand.
Jon Peacock, on behalf of the Secretary of Internal Affairs, requests a ban not only of the three issues submitted, but also requests “consideration is given to issuing a serial publication order on the publication” in a letter to his subordinates at the Censorship Office.
“We are outraged at this blatant political interference in our campaign for sensible drug laws,” Fowlie said.
“Police are lying to the media and misleading the public,” Fowlie said. “They should admit they are behind this censorship, rather than hiding behind the faceless grey suits of Wellington.”
“If the police succeed in banning NORML News, this could criminalize thousands of people who have an old copy somewhere,” Fowlie said. “We have printed more than one million copies which all found happy homes, and a recall would be impossible.”