The Libertarianz Party strives for a future New Zealand in which Nanny State no longer coddles and chastises us at every turn. We envision a New Zealand in which parents exercise authority over their children, and adults are free to do as they please, so long as they respect other people’s freedoms and take full responsibility for the consequences of their own actions. In such a libertarian utopia, there will simply be no need for legislation banning things which have a “moderate potential for harm”. Parents will see to it that their children stay out of harm’s way, adults will take responsibility for their own welfare, and the government will not waste your money on futile efforts to stem the tide of human nature. Ultimately, we would repeal the Misuse of Drugs Act. Meanwhile, the Libertarianz Party has a transitional drugs policy: to legalise all drugs safer than alcohol. This policy would result in the legalisation of a surprisingly large number of substances already scheduled in the Misuse of Drugs Act – and all of them safer to take on a night out than a few drinks.

– Dr. Richard Goode, Spokesman on Drugs for the Libertarianz Party, 2007

I’m now with the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, but still a libertarian. It is my personal view that we should legalise all drugs. Starting with cannabis. Let’s see how cannabis legalisation goes, and take it from there.

If it were up to me, I’d rank all drugs in order of safety, and legalise them in that order, over an extended period of time. That’s my policy. Obviously, most of the current crop of legal highs would be some way down the list.

By legalising drugs in order of safety over a period of time, we can monitor the effects of the policy, and call a halt at any time. If it turns out that we’ve take one step too far, we can always quit while we’re only one step behind.

Sounds like a plan?