Self Administration

Host: . . . “stat-dec” stating that they smoke dope regularly. Gary Meyerhoff from the Network Against Prohibition is in the studio with me today to tell us about it, as he terms it calling the police’s bluff, good morning.

Gary Meyerhoff: G’day how are you?

Host: Not too bad thanks, interesting that you call it a bluff given the last few days.

Gary Meyerhoff: Yeah well obviously, there’s been a a lot of pressure put on the police service and they’re trying to come through with the goods and pander I suppose to that you know, more repressive element in our community, and so we have sort of seen a recent spate of drug busts and I mean we’ve got to keep in mind that Peter Toyne has promised that there will be a major offensive against drug use and drug dealing in June, so this could just be an indication of what there is to come.

Host: So exactly what is happening tomorrow and why?

Gary Meyerhoff: OK well at 12 o’clock tomorrow, a small number of people will attend the Darwin local police office in Smith Street, and um, we’ll have supporters there with us and we’ll actually be handing ourselves in at the police station, admitting that we smoke cannabis and um, we technically should be charged by police for self-adminstration of a dangerous drug and therefore we’ll have to go to court and ah, we’re basically using this tactic to really highlight the absurdity of the drug house laws and the absurdity of Clare Martin, Peter Toyne and Peter White’s approach to illicit drug-use in the Northern Territory.

Host: So you expect an infringement notice?

Gary Meyerhoff: Actually no, infringement notices only apply to people caught with possession of small amounts of cannabis, we’re actually handing ourselves in for smoking cannabis, that’s what we’re admitting to, and the charge then would be self-administration of a dangerous drug, namely cannabis, which has a maximum penalty I think of two years’ jail.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Thursday, 11 April 2002
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
Email: comments@your.abc.net.au
Copyright: 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Website: http://www.abc.net.au/

This broadcast from 105.7 ABC Darwin was transcribed by NAP member Robert Inder-Smith. The host is not identified however it is likely that it was Cherie Beach.