Dakta in the house

BY LUKE PARKER

He calls himself Dakta Green.

The 59-year-old has been jailed in California and New Zealand for cultivating cannabis but has no plans to change his ways.

Dakta is a strong activist for law reform surrounding the drug and has been pushing for its legalisation since 1999.

He’s even set up a cannabis club in a New Lynn warehouse known as the Daktory.

Dakta says marijuana use is widespread and causes less harm in the community than alcohol.

“You have no idea how many people from all walks of life smoke cannabis in this country,” he says. “The youngest I’ve smoked with was 14 because his parents were present and the oldest was over 80 years old.

“We cannot call all these people criminals. It’s part of popular culture. The fact that everybody is doing it is a damn good reason to stop locking a few of us up.”

Dakta Green was born in Wellington in 1950 and attended high school in Taumarunui.

He went on to become a businessman and entrepreneur in Auckland and ran a casino on a boat in 1986.

He says the operation took place  offshore – outside of police jurisdiction.

The New Lynn resident was not always pro-marijuana and didn’t try it until he was 39.

“I was a prohibitionist when I grew up. I didn’t know why. I thought cannabis was evil and was highly opposed to it.

“I always thought it was against the law and would cause brain damage.

“I finally tried it to find out why young people found it so attractive.”

Dakta’s first smoke completely changed his life.

“I woke up the following morning without a hangover and was no longer a prohibitionist.

“From that point on I slowly became immersed in the culture.”

The grandfather-of-seven uses the drug daily.

“It is of benefit for my general health and well-being and also for socialising,” he says. “I am a cannabis consumer and am not ashamed of it. I don’t believe I should be treated as a second-class citizen by society.”

Dakta travelled to Australia and on to the United States to expand his knowledge of the drug.

“I moved to California to learn how to grow medical-grade cannabis of the highest and healthiest quality.

“I got busted and spent a year in Chester County Prison in 1999. I was then required to leave the States.”

He continued to perfect his growing techniques until he was caught in Auckland with around 150 cannabis plants.

The father-of-three was locked up in November 2002 and spent the next two years and eight months in 11 prisons around the North Island.

“I planned the Daktory in prison with a desire to make a change in our laws around marijuana.

“I decided to travel the country and discuss cannabis with New Zealanders. I believe if they know the truth about it they won’t support the continued incarceration of people.”

Dakta and his supporters use a bus to spread their message.

“We started a tour of the country in March last year and did 42 towns in 42 days and had 42 public smoking sessions at 4.20pm.  We took our protest on tour.

“In Wellington we did it in Parliament grounds and 60 people turned up.”

Dakta also ran as a candidate for Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis in the Mt Albert byelection and came sixth out of 15 contenders.

The Daktory opened on November 19, 2008.

“This is a cannabis connoisseurs’ club. We are doing it here in private but we’re not going to stop making noise.

“This is a place were people bring their own and enjoy our facilities.

“If the police want to come bursting in here, bring it on.”

Dakta says he’s been arrested a number of times over the last year.

He will appear in the Waitakere  District Court this month on multiple cannabis charges.

Sergeant Grant Watson says police policy on marijuana is quite clear – it’s illegal.

“It doesn’t matter where you are, in a private dwelling or anywhere, smoking and possessing cannabis is an offence against the misuse of drugs act and carries a fine and or a term of imprisonment,” he says.

Mr Watson says police will investigate alleged offences if they have sufficient cause.

He urges people to come forward if they have evidence of an offence being committed.

“We can search without a warrant under section 18 of the misuse of drugs act and prosecute,” he says.

Membership at the Daktory is confidential but each smoker pays $20 a month and must sign up for at least a year.

“We started with 20 in November last year and by the end of January there were more than 1500,” Dakta says.

“Our members support the ongoing costs and bills, including renting the premises.

“This is not a private business. I run it but only hold the company shares in trust while a community trust is being formed. This is a model for places to come.

“Within two years there will be daktories all over the country that will cater for people in our culture and the profits will go back to the community because they will be owned and operated by community trusts.

“If you want a drink you have to go to licensed premises. If you want a joint, you go to unlicensed premises and we call them tinny houses. We think that’s wrong.”

There are clear rules within the club.

“We require people to conduct themselves in a particular way, exactly the same as if we were a legally licensed premises. We set standards.”

He says the Daktory started selling up to 20 different strains of marijuana from its premises but stopped in April when demand skyrocketed.

“We were getting traffic jams outside and people were queuing at our dispensary and wanting to join. We didn’t have the management systems in place.”

He says the dispensary will reopen to the public in January and will be restricted to those 18 years and older.

Dakta Green believes cannabis will be legal and available from daktories throughout the country by the end of next year.

“I expect to prove that cannabis in the hands of a responsible adult is a relatively benign plant and is certainly less harmful than alcohol,” he says.

“It’s time that our Members of Parliament stood up and said we don’t care about the science. What we care about is keeping cannabis out and it’s a political decision we’re making.”

- ‘Dak’ – slang expression for marijuana

- © Fairfax NZ News