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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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New Zealand: Cannabis supporters at court Tanya Wood
Thursday 04 Aug 2011 About 20 "free Billy Mckee" supporters from GreenCross, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) and Norml, stood outside the courthouse with placards and banners, a few openly smoking a joint, before police arrived to check the demonstration would be a "peaceful" one. The 56-year-old, who lost the lower half of his right leg after being "deliberately rammed" by a drunk driver 36 years ago, said he has been a medicinal cannabis user for the last 10 years. A television crew filmed the protest and interviewed Mckee after he emerged from the bail hearing. Mckee said he is pleading not guilty to the charges, and although there was a good chance he could go to jail for a couple of years, it was "worth it if it gets the debate going and changes the law". GreenCross, which Mckee has been a member of for eight years, president for six, actively promotes the legalisation of medicinal cannabis use under GP supervision, and took part in last year's hearings, which saw the Law Commission recommend cannabis be made available on prescription as a licensed drug if proven to treat certain conditions safely. Mckee said joining GreenCross, a medical support group of 50, mostly "old ladies" and cancer sufferers in the main, requires a letter from the applicant's GP acknowledging their patient's use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. "It's a political issue and the police are trying to cut down the debate by targeting organisations such as ours." Asked to resign from the Horowhenua District Ratepayers and Residents Association following his arrest last month at his home in Levin, the self-described fulltime social and environmental activist said he was unsuccessful in getting his bail conditions changed to use cannabis. Mckee, who needs a wheelchair, said he uses about a gram a day of cannabis, mostly as a poultice on the stump when it starts throbbing and going into spasms. "Within five or 10 minutes I can feel an improvement, but now I'm getting those spasms every night and I'm not getting to sleep." Mr Mckee was remanded on bail to reappear in Levin District Court on August 17. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/horowhenua-mail/5385381/Cannabis-supporters-at-court
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