Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (sometimes known as the ALCP) is a small political party in New Zealand (Aotearoa). It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. The ALCP describes current legislation on cannabis as being "oppressive", and says that users of cannabis are subject to "persecution". It compares laws against cannabis to the historic prohibition of alcohol.

The ALCP has never won representation in Parliament, although managed to win 1.66% of the vote in the 1996 elections. Its support has declined somewhat since that point, however - in the 1999 elections, it won 1.10% of the vote, and in the 2002 elections, it won only 0.64%. Some of this decline may be attributed to the rise of the Green Party as an independent entity - the Greens also support the reform of drug laws, but are considered to be a more viable party. Two Green MPs, Nandor Tanczos and Metiria Turei, were ALCP candidates in 1996. It has occasionally been suggested that the ALCP should dissolve, and that its members should transfer their support to the Greens - the party's leader, Michael Appleby, raised such a possibility in early 2002. The party remains in existence, however, and contested the by-election in Te Tai Hauauru in mid 2004 — with their candidate, Dun Mihaka, receiving 197 votes (2.52%).

See also

Legalise Cannabis Alliance

Legal issues of cannabis

External link