This is a shameful act of ‘justice’…
Kaikohe mum hit by jail term
A leading figure in Kaikohe’s arts and business communities has been jailed for two years after being found guilty of possession of cannabis for supply.Kelly van Gaalen was sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court on Thursday following a jury trial last month. Friends and family in the public gallery, including her three children, wept and called out as the distraught 38-year-old was led away.
Van Gaalen was a member of the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board as well as the chair of the Kaikohe Community Arts Council and promotions manager for the Kaikohe Business Association. She has resigned from her positions. A community board by-election will be held in October.
Judge John McDonald told the court that van Gaalen’s husband had been the victim of a violent home invasion by three armed men on July 14 last year. Mr van Gaalen, who was home alone, managed to escape and raise the alarm.
However, when police arrived they discovered a bucket of dried cannabis and more in a snaplock bag.
In total it weighed 684g.
Van Gaalen had told the court it was for personal use and to give away to about 20 close friends. She had two plants, one of which had grown exceptionally well. She said she smoked cannabis daily and had started when she was 14.
Judge McDonald said there was no evidence of commercial dealing, such as text messages on her phone, but Parliament had set the upper limit for personal use at 28g. Van Gaalen had 24 times that and knew it was against the law.
“It is not for this court to comment whether that is a just law or not,” he said.
…when the result of our cannabis law is to lock a mother of 3, with an amazing community reputation, up for 2 years, that law is broken and unjust.
America – the home of the insane war on drugs – is now becoming more liberal than the pettiness of NZ.
When legal booze and tobacco are killing thousands every year, locking up a mum of 3 kids who is a pillar of her community is a terrible miscarriage of justice.
Unfortunately NZ has the political maturity of a can of coke and a media too focused on celebrity twitter battles than real issues.
It is stupid, and a waste of our money. Do they honestly think that she’s costing society more than 100k a year by growing a plant? Because that’s the only economic argument for prison.
Of course it shouldn’t be legal and unregulated – then we’d have eg Sky City, McDonalds, Pfizer and all the rest of the Corp’s trying to force it down our throats (like the booze/smokes/junk food merchants do).
If it could be for personal use ONLY and the cops went after criminals… well wouldn’t that be novel.
Unless the cops are trying to get it for themselves . . .
of coarse it should be legal..an regulated..for medical an recreational use..prohibition never works…the judge in this case is a fuck wit…big time!!
Yep figures. Bloody drunks can go out & beat the shit out of someone & get 6 months!
Where has all the compassion gone?
The law in its current form is indeed an ass. The time when it will be required to be revamped is coming.
Some researchers have found that “some” governments view drugs as a commodity – just like milk, oil, fish, mining.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/jaw-dropping-explanation-how-governments-are-complicit-illegal-drug-trade
Far North torys tend to be brutish and dull witted a friend reminded me the other day when discussing this, the SME owners are happy to take “dope money” yet applaud when the moralistic cops and courts put the slipper in as per this case
funny how one now jailed major meth dealer (whose son stockpiles swamp Kauri in Mangonui) is seldom mentioned in dispatches, the “good ’ol boys” thought he was one of theirs but got a surprise, the ‘dirty mowreees’ and ‘mowreee lovers’ are meant to be the drug dealers!
“van Gaalen had 24 times [the legal limit for personal use] that and knew it was against the law”.
We all take the odd risk. We all take the odd gamble. Whether one agrees with the law as it stands or not, there is always a risk when one knowingly breaks the law of losing (temporarily or permanently) what you value.
I would have thought that the potential loss of ones Liberty, community standing, reputation and family interaction would be held in high enough regard to not be worth the risk. To each his own I suppose.
You totally miss the point. The so-called “War on Drugs” is a right wing scam, that is well past its use-by date, and your argument sounds like it was scripted by the right wing rump of the National Party.
Also, a law that is manifestly unjust deserves to be broken.
No. A law that is manifestly unjust deserves to be rallied against and eventually rescinded via the proper channels befitting of a modern democracy.And in the meantime, those who knowingly break said law deserve to be punished according.
That is my point.
“those who knowingly break said law deserve to be punished according”
Does this apply to every act of civil disobedience ever?
And why should the children be punished?
…you’re weird bro
Yes it should. Consistency is the name of the game. No-one is above the law.
The children are not being punished by the law here, they are having the integrity of their caregiver questioned. This situation is the mothers fault. She knew the law, she knew the potential consequences and has admitted that.
“Wierd” would be to break the law and think that it doesn’t apply to you because to apply the law would cause some kind of inconvenience. It is you who is weird…………bro.
Mike, the :”children aren’t being punished here???”
There mother is in JAIL FFS!! What do you call that?? Your lack of empthy is verging on psycopathy. Putting her in jail at a cost of $90,000 to $100,000 for passessing weed is a sick joke.
You might as well put people who parlk illegally in jail as well. Why not – they “run the risk of nbreaking the law”, don’t they?
the thing I get from your posts is a strong element of misogyny and solo-mum bashing. Am I wrong?
Yes, you’re wrong. And for the record, I had no idea that she was a solo mother. That makes her decision to use weed even more interesting.
My main motivation to stay within the law is the effect it may have on my wife and children, my business, my mortgage, my position in the community, my reputation, my ability to travel overseas and my freedom of choice. I value all these things. She knew she was breaking the law and must at some stage have weighed up the risk versus reward decision.
Obviously in this case she either, a) put her own self gratification ahead of the welfare of her children b) she decided in her own mind that she would not get caught, or c) she has a plan B in place to take care of her affairs upon incarceration.
I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees amongst those with your attitude, tbh.
You sound a bit like Thatcher.
“Consistency is the name of the game. No-one is above the law.”
Wow. So you think slaves who ran away from their slave owners “deserve to be punished according” … because they broke the law.
I’m glad I don’t know you. It’s a shame you’ve reproduced. You’re what I reluctantly call a shit parent. You are why we need an empathetic society.
Fatty, you have just broken two of the golden rules of debating. 1) by going off topic and attempting to use a parallel and totally unrelated subject to distort proportion to try to grab the moral high ground. And 2) you have resorted to an attempt to insult and discredit your opponent which has achieved nothing but to expose you as an uneducated and unpredictable nutcase.
This correspondence is now over
Wrong.
You just struggle to think beyond social norms and reflect on the outcome of your selfishness.
You have showed no empathy to the mother’s children and then justified your amblivience towards her children by trying to claim the ‘good parent’.
Whip-de-do…you have the parental instincts of my neighbour’s dog. Caring for your own spogs means fuck-all.
And if you are only teaching your children to be like you (only care and value their immediate family), then yes, you are a shit parent.
You brought your family into the debate, now deal with it.
“expose you as an uneducated and unpredictable nutcase”
No need for ableist language thinks. Perhaps you need to do some basic 101 reading on privilege. I could teach you, but apparently I’m uneducated.
Lol!! I guess that proves …
“..you can win any argument with facts!! ”
Well done fats.
Mike seems to think the law is consistent, they let a child molester off again and again to give him another chance recently, what did he do, run down a woman with a car, took her home raped and stabbed her to death, another recent case a child molester got yet another break after kidnapping a 10 year old girl, he cut his bracelet off and went on the run, consistency Mike, yep sure is.
Google israeli cannabis ashburton. Over 6 kilo and discharged without conviction. You like the law are a ass.
Indeed, like the woman driving under influence of methadone who killed a guy on a mobility scooter. 12 months – consistency?
Shit according to your logic, the whole Natz Party should be locked up too, after it has been shown to have broken the law how many times Mike in NZ?
So the law doesn’t’ apply to them does it.
Maybe you’re right. The only real challenge there is to actually prove your accusations.
Why did the cows return to the marajuana field?
It was the pot calling the cattle back!! Bwwaaahhhhaaaaaaa!!!
Thought the correspondence was over Mike,seems like the selfrighteous all have to be right or discussion ends.
You have just reignited it.
It is only over with Mr Fatty, until he acts with a little more civility and learns to control his temper.
Everybody is self righteous to a certain extent, and show it most when something or someone they value is threatened by something or someone they believe to be within their control. Mr Fatty more so than most people here judging by his unwillingness to accept the views of others and also to accept that his view is not necessarily the view of the majority. I sometimes don’t agree with the majority, but that is no reason to shoot the messenger by calling people names, attempting to defame them and claiming it as part of a government conspiracy.
In short, he needs to grow up.
I just held up the mirror to your values. Don’t blame me for the reflection.
You suggested she was a bad parent. I showed you why you’re a bad parent.
I made no mention of a government conspiracy. Why do you lie about me?
What absolute unadulterated bollix.
What happens if you grow ONE plant – because you don’t want to be exposed to any dealers or others, and you end up with 600gms off the plant??
Was she expected to throw 572 grams away??
I mean for chrissake- lets start getting tough on people who want to get tough on harmless drugs.
She was found with 24 times the permitted limit in her possession. This is not a slight miscalculation. She knew the law. She must expect to suffer the consequences. Harmless or not in your opinion, it is still against the law.
Laws like weekend trading, gayness, abortions, short skirts, blacks on buses, speaking Maori, herbal medicine… witchcraft……
all those laws??
No, and you know it. Nothing on your list is illegal. And why should it be?
You have the wrong end of the stick. I am not a totalitarian. I don’t vote National, or act for that matter. I am probably more in favour of a permissive society than you are. The main difference appears to be that of respect. I have a high(ish) level of respect for the law, societal order, my elders and the opinions of those more qualified than I to comment based on reason and experience.
In a nutshell, I believe that we all should be able to do whatever we like on our own land in our own time and WITHIN THE LAW as long as it doesn’t encroach on the rights of others to do likewise.
In what way did the lady in question encroach on what you do on your own land Mike.
First you use your selfrighteous views to judge ,then you use justification without due thought ,next comes anger.We understand your views but disagree with your judgement.
Elle. I never said she did. I merely used it as an aid to explain my general outlook on life.
No, I don’t use self righteous views to judge, I use realism, experience and common sense.
There is not, and has never been, anger. Mr Fatty has more than enough of that for us all.
Still talking about me and not to me?
Try deconstructing or challenging my argument.
Your passive-aggressiveness is anger.
Most if not all of the things on that list, @Mike, were illegal at one time or another. Aiding and abetting escaping slaves was illegal too, before slavery itself became illegal. Do you think the people who operating the Underground Railway should have done nothing, and waited patiently for a law change which as far as they knew might never come?
These people were the victims of a violent crime. The police could have used their discretion, recognized that the family had suffered enough, and that a prosecution was not in the public interest. The judge could have refused to convict on the basis that the police had not proved commercial supply, or given the minimum sentence; either community service, a fine, or at worst, home detention. Any of these would have been within the law, as it stands today.
Instead, police and judge have used the strongest sanction available in our legal system – prison – to punish this mother and her family for a victimless crime. Shame on them, and on anyone who sticks up for them.
The point here, Mike@NZ, is one of degree.
Knowing the risk of breaking the law is one thing.
Having a total insane sentence handed down for a minor offence is another.
Especially when Police are ignoring offenders who break Protection Orders until the victim ends up beaten, maimed, or dead, as has happened too many times over the years.
I think I know where my taxes should be spent.
Clue: it ain’t the victimless crime of smoking cannabis.
It is interesting to note that when Muldoon was in power he once admitted that marajuana would not be legalised on his watch……until he could figure out a way to tax the home grower. And they say the Mafia were ratbags for demanding a cut of all business done on their turf!
If harvesting your years supply of two plants makes you 24 times the legal limit for staying out of jail you know we need to change the law.
When harvesting your years supply of two plants puts you 24 times over the legal limit to stay out of jail you know that the law is an arse.
Kelly was not a gangster, suggesting that she be sentenced similarly to someone who has a rap sheet as long as my arm and lived a life of crime is not how the law generally works.
I would be interested to see some recent precedents of gangsters being caught with a pound and receiving a two year sentence. What I imagine you will find is that the gangster would have been criminally savvy enough to not to admit it was his, put the blame on his younger cousins and deny sharing, if that didn’t work. Kelly went into the legal system an innocent and they took her to the cleaners.
Hey Mike
Really, that’s the best comment you can come up with ?? You seriously don’t have anything better to think about then to worry about a petty crime like this and it sounds like this Justice John McDonald needs to wake up and do his job properly and go find the real criminals instead of picking on a woman with 3 children. How would you both like to go thru being locked up in a jail for 2 long years and have your children crying night and day because they miss their mum. Your sad and lets hope you both don’t end up lonely miserable men for the rest of your life. I hope your conscience haunts you both!!!!
100% right Martyn. Cannabis is part of NZ society, time to legalise it, then the gang connections for money would drop away as everyone could grow their own! I know a person who got 1 year home detention for a real crime of violence! 🙁 No one would testify against him. To send this woman away at all is pure fing madness! 🙁 It’s only weed for Pete’s sake! TPTB think society’ll fall apart if they legalise it, just nonsense.
This is an OUTRAGE!!!! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!!!
Barbaric!!!! This takes us back to the dark days of Dickinsian England, it is past time to repeal these ridiculous laws.
And as for Judge McDonald, with idiots like him on the bench, no wonder our courts are falling into disrepute!
Absolute madness especially since more and more countries are legalising the product, ok we know its still illegal for supply but to throw a mother of 3 in jail for a couple of years is just plain confusing, I don’t know if the lady in question has prior form to have made the judge apply the law so harshly but even if she has its still way over the top, I have seen nasty wee scroats given a damn sight less for much more heinous crimes.
The only problem I have with weed is what it does to my wasteline and unlike alcohol the only crime im likely to commit is having my music up to loud or watching some trashy tv
War on drugs what a joke, like its ever going to go away, all it does is soak up police resources that could be used to solve actual crimes
who are these 2 dicks that regularly scan through here and vote down every comment? we’ll probably never know, the sys op maybe, just like Dr Hedgh whose door name card keeps getting an “og” added to it, which drives him to distraction
anyway, back to the post–“legalise it don’t criticise it”
Cannabis is far less destructive than alcohol no one has died from an overdose , has medical. benefits and doesn’t have a violent side affect
The alcohol and pharmaceutical lobby wouldn’t like it legalized and that IMO is the sticky point (greed)
Right on there Martyn. Thanks for highlighting this issue.
This community minded woman, a mother of three children, gets to serve jail time, while the likes of John Banks walks free! Obviously she wasn’t in a position to “pay” for her freedom!
And then there is the “prominent NZer”- more of a threat to the community – still out there, free, roaming about, doing God knows what to whom, while the court case has been deferred until April next year! That’s if it’s not dropped altogether!
One law for them and another for the rest of us. Redneck law! This woman’s case proves that point! Another victim falls to the rules of this tainted, corrupt, unequal society!
Important to note she was dealing as well, but even then the sentence is beyond ridiculous considering how other more prominent members of society get away with.
She wasn’t dealing she said she gave some to friends…. not selling it or making money.
Jane – Note the media report; “Judge McDonald said there was no evidence of commercial dealing, such as text messages on her phone, but Parliament had set the upper limit for personal use at 28g.
So your statement “she was dealing as well” is without foundation.
Funny how the moralists can’t even read the facts properly. Yeah, I’m pointing at you Jane.
I used to live in Zambia, where the basic unit for marijuana sales was a “shirt-full” i.e. the volume of a newspaper-wrapped bundle you could stick up your shirt. It was technically illegal, but in four years I never heard of anyone getting busted. A shirt-full cost about $1. There was no criminal activity associated with dope because the stuff grew everywhere, and nobody took much notice of it. And yet, people regard AFRICA as primitive!
Give it a year or two and dope will be legalised here.
“Dope” is a term used by ignorant goons who fail to appreciate cannabis. Do you fir that description, Kevin?
What’s the ‘proper’ way to ‘appreciate’ this plant instead of consigning it to bonfires?
Grow it in the garden as a useful companion plant? As the base of many useful industries, such as rope-making, fabrics, and paper? Or is it’s greatest aspiration simply to be an aid to ‘mellow’ that some people can’t achieve without chemical assistance?
Which ‘appreciation’ would dear old Cannabis sativa ‘appreciate’? (Tomato food, perhaps?)
Actually, this is the whole point, which you seem to miss entirely…..
“Or is it’s greatest aspiration simply to be an aid to ‘mellow’ that some people can’t achieve without chemical assistance? …”
So I guess in your world view there are people who can achieve drunkenness without the chemical assistance of alcohol?
The fact is that NO-ONE can achieve the ‘mellow’ that weed brings – without consuming weed.
If old Aunty Mable from the Countrywomen’s Association is entitled to have a wee tipple of sherry on a Christmas morning, then why can’t I, a tax paying, tee-total, law-abiding middle-aged family man, not have a little toke of weed on Christmas day?
Why do others get to enjoy the chemical assistance of a drug which has wreaked social havoc since its very inception- but I, who live entirely substance free (tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, fast food etc) cannot spend three hours once a year enjoying a very mild chemical reaction to a very mild organic plant??
Should I not be afraid, that Aunty Mable might go postal – tanked up on sherry on Christmas day- perhaps drive her prius through my shed wall on her way to Betty’s house searching for more sherry?
Its time to understand the hypocrisy of the thing- and particularly your pre-loaded non-argument against it.
So right on jeeves
get your self a shirt full
That’s it. You have hit the nail on the head there Mr Ponzi.
Two points. First, the “worth” of any mind altering substance to society (eg, alcohol and marajuana) is always measured by the lowest common denominator, societal damage caused by those who abuse the substance. That’s why a blind eye is turned to Aunty Mable having a Christmas tipple. But if she was to get behind the wheel, or cause a drunkenly disturbance…she will be met with the full force of the law.
Secondly, the horse has already bolted with alcohol, you could say. It is not a big government conspiracy, nor is it booze barons buying government favours. It is simply that alcohol is an inherited “problem” from dozens of generations ago that is considered to be too ingrained in society for prohibition to work. And besides, the majority are actually in favour of alcohol as part of society, but they also favour a certain level of control.
Although there is a hard core following of marajuana advocates who have good reason and logic for legalisation, they are at this stage a minority. Frustrating, but reality.
Mike:
“Although there is a hard core following of marajuana advocates who have good reason and logic for legalisation, they are at this stage a minority.”
Mike, there have been multiple polls on TV shows like Campbell Live, and on the websites of major newspapers, which consistently show a majority are now in favour of legalization. Your comment was probably true in the 1980s, but it’s certainly not true now.
Mike@NZ:
“Although there is a hard core following of marajuana advocates who have good reason and logic for legalisation, they are at this stage a minority.”
There have been numerous polls on TV shows like Campbell Live, and on the websites of major newspapers, which consistently show a majority in favour of legalization. Your comment may have been true in the 1980s, but it certainly isn’t now.
I call it whatever I damn well like so long as others know what I’m talking about. Do you fit the description “asshole”?
BTW I know of one district court judge who calls it dope. Another ignorant goon?
OMG – now we have the ‘dope police ‘ ?
I call alcohol ‘ booze’ does that make me an unappreciative ignorant goon ?
Surely calling it ( a) ‘weed’ is an insult also ?
Dope , dope, DOPE !!
Still smokes the same
I wish, I thought that in 1970.
It looks like this site has been infiltrated with trolls going round clicking the hands down especially notice it the other day on the discussion about that pigshet shooting in Auckland WTF
I believe I was listening to the BBC last week on television where someone was blabbering on about cannabis and psychosis, but what sickens me is the complete disregard of the psychological damage this system metes out.
Requesting trial by jury is as good as futile. I suspect many jurors motivated to fulfill their summons are ignorant self-righteous right-wing creeps who look forward to the occasion as an orgy for sadistic gratification.
Over the years I know people who will never stop consuming cannabis, even openly declaring to a judge their love of it, when unfortunate to be caught.
Then there are those whose only chance to make any meaningful income to alleviate a further slide into destitution is by selling cannabis; which is sold to friends who have the money and demand.
But the system that creates such precariousness and strife is never at fault.
Cannabis is an anti-psychotic.
The only real risks are to first timers freaking out, and those born with developmental disorders.
In many cases simply removing amalgam fillings, and detoxing heavy metals [and pharmaceutical residues] will alleviate most neurological complications with cannabis.
Many nutters are complicated by toxic exposures, often receiving toxins from their mother whilst in the womb….
Long term heavy smokers also add to their bodies heavy metals burden…. as smoking weed LONG TERM contributes greatly to cadmium poisoning, as well as hypothyroid condition. This is exasperated in those with compromised elimination pathways. Genetics govern elimination efficiency.
Non smoking greatly minimizes cadmium absorption [by approx 90%], as stomach acids and intestinal route ameliorate the cadmium exposure problems that arise from smoking. Vaping is much better also, but edibles and sub lingual uptake are safest.
What about the children in this case? Who heard their voices?
Jailing a non violent mother for 2 years makes no sense. What price will society pay?
Hanover Finance killed the dreams of so many but they got fined only $18m while the losses were $540m. Did anyone go to jail?
And what sentences were handed down for the people who invaded the home?
More?
Or less time in prison?
Or was it – home detention, and a caution?
(There is a vague niggle that there might be a tad more to the story – but it doesn’t alter the opinion that the law has been an ass on this one.)
This is mike sabin ( ex drug squad ), and clint rickards (ex undercover in the drug squad ) style justice ……………..
The police, the courts and of course John key and the Nats still carry the flame for ‘experts’ like Mike Sabin and his sick version of law & justice ……..
National protects the Alcohol drug industry and their violence causing drug from proper regulation or taxation………
This ‘drug policy abuse’ has perverted our laws and police force…..
It is also why we have just built a huge new private prison which Serco have been contracted $300 million to run.
Kelly van Gaalen, her family and in fact our whole society are victims of a very expensive Con.
Mike sabin and john key are evil ……………….
So the Police feel ‘meh’ about their job according to a recent survey – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11474223
I wonder why??
Northland eh?
Utter travesty, talk about driving a wedge in a community.
The good part is this will reverberate for ages.
There may be much more to this than meets the eye….
Especially if this case triggers a nationwide response that accelerates the inevitable law change around prohibition.
I’m sure everyone who hears this story will be gobsmacked by the sentence meted out to this upstanding mother of three.
I’m up for some protesting, ready and willing to put in some hours for Kelly van Gaalen.
She has given so much of her time and good will to her community, its the least we can all do!
Free Kelly!
And yet, in this ‘tough on drugs’ environment, an ex-police prosecutor gets a $450 fine for getting busted smoking P.
This is a ridiculous joke of a sentence, on both counts.
NZ has more to worry about than cannabis,apart from the fact,that this womans children suffer from the law probably more than she will.
If judges follow the letter of the law without common sense or compassion as this particular judge did ,NZ will have a bigger jail population as a result.
How many real criminals get away with home detention,how many have suspended sentences.
Mike Sabin by the way ran a business of helping drug rehabilitation called Methcon ,after he resigned from police.
The law in NZ is not run on compassion except in the cases of people who know the “right “people.
In Wake up New Zealand todays article warns about banks and the way they legally steal peoples money,when money is deposited in banks it becomes their money and they owe the depositor, in times of recession they can take that money to “rescue” themselves.
In America Nancy Pelosi organised a memorial for victims of Ukraines war,virtually blaming Russia for the tragedy that we all know is the fault of Americas takeover tactics.
Nato Americas bully boys are lining up along Russias borders then calling Russias response of ignoring the tanks, provocation.
The world is under the control of criminals,our government is part of that control , we are made to accept the TPPA as a thing Key wants, without knowing the secrets and lies behind it.
So much evil in the world by the “law makers”and we jail a mother for a few bits cannabis.
Get this woman out of jail and back to her children,
let commonsense prevail.
Or is this another false flag to take peoples minds off tpp.This case shows up why we the people no longer trust the police ,the judiciary ,or the government.
1+3=4 capcha correct,no error unless capcha decides it is.
Mike Sabin by the way didn’t run a business helping with drug rehabilitation called Methcon, after he resigned from the police force. His business was involved in spreading his anti drugs message to employers and had nothing to do with rehabilitation what so ever.
Protecting people and profits through education
Methcon is actively working to give employers and staff members much needed education through training programmes, and our MethCheck process. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your business would like to provide better drug education support for its management and employees.
Mike Sabin has a good job I believe up north in a holiday resort.
You are nit picking Bill.
You don’t want business people to have help in dealing with drugs ?, I say anything which helps people with addiction is ok in my book .
I hold no flag for Mike Sabin,but if he did what hes accused of doing then he deserves punishment, but he might be innocent,until the case is heard, wait and see, its a long time to postpone a case,and as a ex National member it is suspicious.
The courts are so full of cases maybe its normal to hold it off so long,but with John Key backing Sabin its even more suspicious.
capcha correct 6-5=1
The post included Sabins Methcons mission statement.
Protecting people and profits through education
Methcon is actively working to give employers and staff members much needed education through training programmes, and our MethCheck process. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your business would like to provide better drug education support for its management and employees.
He worked along the lines of the NZDDA not rehabilitation and that’s a simple fact, if he’s your friend fine but don’t make out he was a saint for attacking drug use of any kind when he was just a for profit drug warrior.
Mike Sabin is no friend of mine, quite the opposite,but we are all so quick to judge,quite frankly I don’t really know why he has entered into this discussion.
My only concern is the lady jailed for 2yrs and her children left motherless.
I’m hearing you Elle, I feel the same way about it wasn’t here for any other reason, as this subject is very painful to have to stand by and watch. Sorry if you think I was getting at you.
Im a big girl bill I can take it ,im sorry you have crohns its a horrible thing , regarding cannabis in time maybe it can be used for relief as civilised countries do, NZ is usually behind in this sort of thing.i don’t take or ever have used any drug like cannabis,but I think it might be less filthy than smoking.
Judge John McDonald told the court that van Gaalen’s husband had been the victim of a violent home invasion by three armed men on July 14 last year. Mr van Gaalen, who was home alone, managed to escape and raise the alarm … However, when police arrived they discovered a bucket of dried cannabis and more in a snaplock bag.”
Moral of the story — don’t involve the police.
Ever.
The neighbours called the police. The Van Gaalens are prohibition savvy enough to avoid our law enforcement representatives.
the more time goes by..more and more into focus comes the shame it is/was that harawira demanded the internet party can the ad-campaign they had worked up for the ending of cannabis-prohibition..
..harawira lost ttt by 750 votes..
..now..had that ad campaign gone ahead..(i am told it ‘smoked’..)..i find it hard to believe there were not more than 750 votes (from west ak up to north cape?) up for grabs..from people who wd like to see the end of the madness that is cannabis prohibition..
..people have cast around for the reasons harawira lost..
..i say: ‘it wuz the dope wot dun it..guv..!’
..had that end pot-prohibition campaign gone ahead…harawira and harre wd now be sitting in parliament..(tell me how that ain’t so..!..)
..harawira well and truly ‘dropped the bong’ on that one..
..’tis a shame…
My God what a disgusting misuse of judicial power from this judge, I hope he chokes on his Gin and tonic. This judge will know all too well, that his actions have caused more harm to this individual and society than the Cannabis she consumed, would ever do. Is this at best some sort of drug snobbery or someone exercising the full extent of his powers for his own or a political agenda?
This same judge however sentenced a sixth time recidivist drink-driver who refuses to quit alcohol and in his words, will either kill herself or an innocent road user and end up in jail for life, the judge warned. The 48 year old woman was jailed for 20 months after her sixth drink-driving charge. She blew 1388 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath – more than three times the legal limit of 400mcg.
Oh well, let’s all hope that under the TPP we can all gain access to good American grown Cannabis to help out the US economy and punish to the full extent of the law anyone who dares to grow a strain protected under US copyright, as they already have a patent, Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. US 6630507 for its medical use.
Methcon is a con ……………. just like mike sabin
It’s purpose was to make Mike sabin more money than he got a as a drug squad cop …………..
Now that sabins personal con’s have almost been exposed (a suppression order is protecting him, john key and national ), we should dismantle any organizations that creep was involved in.
Bill is crying crocodile tears over cannabis while worrying about the money his Conning business is making.
What percentage share of M-Con does sabin still own and profit from Bill ???
Will you help him if he sets up a Cannabis-con branch ????
How about a glue-con for the huffers and street-kids ?
Anyway the present Cannabis case in this thread is a direct result of bad evil people like Sabin and Key …………
Alcohol is the drug they use.
How on earth did you get that I was pro Sabin from my comments I think maybe my sarcasm went right over the head of Reason.
My point was methcon has never been a drug rehabilitation program. Mike the Muss Sabin is not the nice person ELLE thinks he is, helping the poor drug effected.
Plus reason, I am more Pro Cannabis than anyone you have ever known and have used it for thirty five years, a member of the Cannabis party and a member of Norml.
I use it for Crohn’s disease and have been arrested seven times for its use.
No crocodile tears from me pal, I think you should read my posts again I feel nothing but sorry for the poor woman facing two years in jail for Cannabis.
My sarcastic TPP comment speaks for its self, multinationals are crawling all over Cannabis, the green rush they call it. Me I would just like to grow a couple with my Tomatoes and be left alone can you understand my view or does it fly in the face of reason.
I never said Mike Sabin is a nice person get your fact straight Bill, my comment was we shouldn’t judge till the facts are known and the case comes up.
Any Nat MP is not good in my book.
If we all judge then no need for court appointed judges. Hmmm,maybe not a bad idea, well in some cases maybe.
Sorry Bill I do apologize for my misunderstanding ……….
The lack of quotation marks when you quoted methcon s promotional material lead me to think their words were yours.
Sorry once more and I’m glad Cannabis provides medical relief for you
Sorry to mate just blows my head away watching this poor woman and her family being treated this way, I think we are on the same page on this one and a change in how we treat people in this country is well over due.
When harvesting your years supply of two plants puts you 24 times over the legal limit to stay out of jail you know that the law is an arse.
Kelly was not a gangster, suggesting that she be sentenced similarly to someone who has a rap sheet as long as my arm and lived a life of crime is not how the law generally works.
I would be interested to see some recent precedents of gangsters being caught with a pound and receiving a two year sentence. What I imagine you will find is that the gangster would have been criminally savvy enough to not to admit it was his, put the blame on his younger cousins and deny sharing, if that didn’t work. Kelly went into the legal system an innocent and they took her to the cleaners.
Group to support Kelly
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1668706690008210/
If you want to donate to her legal fund.
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/legalfundsforkelly
Please sign our petition to free KELLY https://www.change.org/p/new-zealand-parliament-free-kelly-van-gaalen
Think the Herald has stolen TDB story on this lady, they reported on it today,maybe a bit more publicity will get her released so she can get back to her children.
Just goes to show the importance of family/whanau to the Judiciary…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11107578
“Judge praises dealer for turning his life around”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/68901088/dope-dealing-new-plymouth-mum-sentenced
“A mother of two caught dealing cannabis with her partner has escaped prison.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/63291741/British-guest-sentenced-for-drug-dealing
“Nevertheless, to ensure parity of sentencing, home detention was an appropriate sentence, he said.
Discharge without conviction
Dean Wentworth Shaw, 45, winemaker, of Cromwell, was granted a discharge without conviction for possessing LSD and cannabis on July 24.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10853070
“Drug-dealing father spared jail sentence”
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/crime/cannabis-dealing-lawyer-sentenced/
“A lawyer has been ordered not to practise law for three years after possessing and selling cannabis.”
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/332554/cannabis-dealer-jailed-16-months
“Judge Turner said he would have sentenced him to home detention had an appropriate address been available.”
http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/hairdresser-admits-drug-dealing
“A Greymouth hairdresser who admitted a “tail-end Charlie’’ role in a West Coast drug dealing operation today avoided a jail sentence.”
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4gPD8nbVYJIJ:tvnz.co.nz/national-news/drug-dealing-pharmacist-emigrated-syria-gets-struck-off-6315401+&cd=25&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nz
“caught with morphine, cannabis and ritalin tablets. a toxic chemical smell coming from his apartment. He was sentenced in May 2014 to 10 months’ home detention.”
http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/54743-drug-dealing-pensioner-sentenced.html
“A 65-year-old pensioner caught running a commercial cannabis operation with $108,000 in cannabis plants has been sentenced to nine months home detention. ”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5638309/Seized-drug-house-to-be-auctioned
“The estimated street value of the cannabis was between $32,000 and $41,000.
In 2011, Tittleton was sentenced to forfeit 50 per cent of the value of his home, in the first time the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 had been used to seize a house in Marlborough.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11441851
“Man convicted of dealing P avoids prison time”
Okay, I’m done here…
Methinks Kelly was done like the dog’s dinner….
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such great information being shared freely out there.
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