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University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
, occupation = , years_active = , era = , employer = , organization = , agent = , known_for = Whakamana Cannabis Museum , notable_works = , style = , net_worth = , height = , television = , title = , term = , predecessor = , successor = , party =
The Opportunities Party The Opportunities Party (usually referred to as TOP) is a centrist political party based in New Zealand. It was founded in 2016 by economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan and is today led by Raf Manji. The party is based upon an idea of "evid ...
(currently) , otherparty =
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
(formerly) , movement = , opponents = , boards = , criminal_charges = , criminal_penalty = , criminal_status = , spouse = , partner = , children = , parents = , mother = , father = , relatives = , family = , callsign = , awards = , website = , module = , module2 = , module3 = , module4 = , module5 = , module6 = , signature = , signature_size = , signature_alt = , footnotes = Abraham Gabriel Gray (born 16 March 1982) is an American-born New Zealand cannabis activist, politician and founder of the Whakamana Cannabis Museum, New Zealand's first and only cannabis museum. Gray was a
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
lecturer and tutor for over a decade before founding the museum. Gray has been a high-profile cannabis activist and protester for almost two decades, and is known as New Zealand's '
Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of t ...
of Weed'.


Biography


Early life

Gray grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and attended South High School. Gray ran for student president of his high school on a stoner ticket, unsuccessfully, but blames low turnout and students skipping assembly for it. As a teenager, Gray attempted to find new connections to get access to cannabis, so Gray started working at a local
head shop A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis and tobacco and items related to cannabis culture and related countercultures. They emerged from the hippie counterculture in the late 1960s, and ...
. This soon inspired Gray's passion for cannabis, as he would spend his time at the store consuming books on the history and cultivation of cannabis. Gray started growing weed in his closet, taking classes on plant propagation, learning to clone and tell the difference between strains. Gray says following the enactment of the
Patriot Act The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) was a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush. The formal name of the statute is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appro ...
"cannabis-smoking hippies were as legitimate a target for the Patriot Act police state as minorities". Gray read several articles, in the magazines
High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny"Norml Founder Retires – Exha ...
and
Cannabis Culture Cannabis culture describes a social atmosphere or series of associated social behaviors that depends heavily upon cannabis consumption, particularly as an entheogen, recreational drug and medicine. Historically cannabis has been used an entheo ...
, about New Zealand's newly elected
Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
MP
Nándor Tánczos Nándor Steven Tánczos (, hu, Tánczos Nándor; born 29 May 1966) is a New Zealand social ecologist, researcher, educator, activist and political commentator. He is currently a councillor in the Whakatāne District Council. He is also co-dir ...
and how New Zealand was on the precipice of legalising cannabis. Gray told himself "I'm gonna go to NZ, enrol in a uni that teaches botany, and I'm gonna learn to grow the dankest weed."


Moving to New Zealand and university days

Gray arrived in New Zealand five days after the
2002 New Zealand general election The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposi ...
, where the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundati ...
were no longer in government, meaning cannabis legislation wasn't an option for the foreseeable future. After the Green's failure to make advances in cannabis policy at the
2002 election The following elections occurred in the year 2002. * 2002 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2002 Comorian presidential election * 2002 East Timorese presidential election * 2002 Fijian municipal election * 2002 Hong Kong Chief Executive election * ...
, Gray joined the Legalise Cannabis Party. Gray earned a master's degree in Botany from the
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
, but was too paranoid about his immigration status to grow or sell any cannabis during his first three years in New Zealand. Despite this, Gray did smoke cannabis and take part in cannabis protests, including two occasions where he led a group who hot-boxed the Dunedin police station at the annual J Day protest march in 2003 and 2004. These experiences helped him realise the strength in numbers and the power of protest. Abe was involved in a
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
club of cannabis enthusiasts,
Otago NORML Otago University NORML (also known as simply Otago NORML or NORML Dunedin) is a pro cannabis (drug), cannabis law reform student club at the University of Otago, affiliated to the Otago University Students Association. It is a local chapter of th ...
, and was its president for many years.
Otago NORML Otago University NORML (also known as simply Otago NORML or NORML Dunedin) is a pro cannabis (drug), cannabis law reform student club at the University of Otago, affiliated to the Otago University Students Association. It is a local chapter of th ...
started gathering on the University of Otago Union Lawn at 4:20pm every Friday to smoke together. The club soon became one of the largest on campus, but the university was displeased. Campus security guards tried to forcefully move the group away, causing a backlash among members that made local headlines. The weekly smoke sessions became twice-weekly. The club held lectures, debates, and an entire cannabis awareness week on campus. This caused Gray to become the target of a six-month investigation by the police
Special Tactics Group The Special Tactics Group (STG) is the full-time police tactical unit of the New Zealand Police. The STG replaced the Anti-Terrorist Squad which was predominantly military personnel and was established to respond to high-risk situations which ...
. Gray was arrested in 2008 by a group of uniformed officers while giving a presentation about cannabis at the university's annual clubs day. Gray was warned police officers were heading his way, but was confident they were not after him so he kept a bag of cannabis in his pocket. But it was for him. Gray was dragged to a police car. An angry crowd followed them and laid down in front of the police cars, and five additional undercover police officers came out to attempt to control the situation.
Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
MP
Metiria Turei Metiria Leanne Agnes Stanton Turei (born 1970) is a New Zealand academic and a former New Zealand politician. She was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2017 and the female co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009 to 2017 ...
was at another stall and yelled at the officers, demanding identification, and said the police response was over the top. Gray was charged with possession of a pipe, one gram of cannabis and resisting arrest, but was discharged without conviction. The court disclosure documents showed all of his text messages and bank records covering the last six months. These protests and encounters with the police are covered in 2015 New Zealand documentary ''Druglawed'', which documents the history of cannabis prohibition in the US and New Zealand, outlining political and economic reasons for its prohibition. It argues New Zealand mirrors the USA's war on drugs, and prohibition is failing.


Political life and Cannabis Museum

Gray stood as a list candidate for the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
in the
2011 New Zealand general election The 2011 New Zealand general election took place on Saturday 26 November 2011 to determine the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament. One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from sing ...
, and served as their deputy leader. Though inspired by
Nándor Tánczos Nándor Steven Tánczos (, hu, Tánczos Nándor; born 29 May 1966) is a New Zealand social ecologist, researcher, educator, activist and political commentator. He is currently a councillor in the Whakatāne District Council. He is also co-dir ...
, Gray became disillusioned by what he saw as the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundati ...
's "political posturing" on cannabis law reform. He stuck with the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
. Gray participated in the 2011 " Occupy Dunedin" protest, as part of a worldwide movement supporting
Occupy Wall Street Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was a protest movement against economic inequality and the influence of money in politics that began in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district, in September 2011. It gave rise to the ...
. There were more than 100 protesters and 30 tents at the
Octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A ''regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, wh ...
. In 2013, Gray opened the Whakamana Cannabis Museum from a
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
flat. Gray and other activists hoped to turn Dunedin into a 'cannabis capital'. The museum tells the history of cannabis laws and protests, the biology of the plant, and different ways to consume it. The museum was listed as a guest room on
AirBnB Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 by ...
, with "awesome queen bed with reading lamps, a bit of closet space, plenty of electricity outlets and a few houseplants," listed on the promotional blurb. In 2014, Gray contested
Dunedin North Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, located northeast of the city centre. It contains many of the city's major institutions, including the city's university, polytechnic, ma ...
for the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
, coming fifth. In 2014, the Whakamana Cannabis Museum hosted the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
AGM and Gray was elected president of the party. Gray wanted to demonstrate cannabis was a political winner and entice major parties into stealing the policy. In 2016, Gray ran in the
2016 Dunedin mayoral election The 2016 Dunedin mayoral election was held on Saturday, 8 October 2016 and was conducted under the Single transferable vote, single transferable voting system. Dave Cull, Dunedin's Mayor of Dunedin, 57th mayor, was re-elected after seeing off te ...
, coming tenth with 734 votes. Gray ran for the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
in the
2017 Mount Albert by-election The 2017 Mount Albert by-election was a New Zealand by-election held in the electorate on 25 February 2017 during the 51st New Zealand Parliament. The seat was vacated following the resignation of David Shearer, a former Leader of the New Zeal ...
, running against
Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, leader of the Labour Party since 2017. A member of the L ...
,
Julie Anne Genter Julie Anne Genter (; born 17 December 1979) is an American-born New Zealand politician who is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. She served as the Minister for Women, Associate Ministe ...
and
Geoff Simmons Geoffrey Leonard Simmons (born 27 December 1974) is an economist and former leader of The Opportunities Party (TOP), a political party in New Zealand. He stood for TOP in the February 2017 Mount Albert by-election, in the Wellington Central el ...
. Later in 2017, Gray left his role as president of the
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
and ran for
The Opportunities Party The Opportunities Party (usually referred to as TOP) is a centrist political party based in New Zealand. It was founded in 2016 by economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan and is today led by Raf Manji. The party is based upon an idea of "evid ...
in
Dunedin North Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, located northeast of the city centre. It contains many of the city's major institutions, including the city's university, polytechnic, ma ...
, partly due to a dissatisfied member base which wanted him gone, and partly because he was impressed by TOP's drug reform policy. Gray called on other ACLP members to transition to
TOP A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a f ...
. Late in the 2017 election, the Greens went all-in promoting their cannabis legalisation policy, ultimately leading to the
2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and produ ...
, which Gray is convinced would not have happened without
TOP A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a f ...
's presence. In 2018, the museum moved to a high-profile cafe location in Dunedin's main street,
Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (thre ...
, and the museum then included a cafe and VIP facilities. Gray appointed himself the curator and lead researcher. Members could pay a fee of $4.20 a week to access a clubroom to smoke in, complete with comfy couches, lava lamps and retro video game consoles. Club members at the museum could bring cannabis to smoke, and could exchange and sell to each other, but Gray was never involved in any sales. While the museum sold cannabis-related paraphernalia, there was no cannabis for sale. The museum had a cafe, High Tide, which sold coffees for $4.20 – a nod to cannabis culture. Comedian Guy Williams visited the museum and documented his visit for a segment on the comedy show
Jono and Ben ''Jono and Ben'', previously titled ''Jono and Ben at Ten'', was a satirical news and entertainment show hosted by Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce in New Zealand. The show aired on Three on Thursday nights at 7:30pm, and was filmed the night before in ...
. A cannabis-keen
Bitcoin Bitcoin ( abbreviation: BTC; sign: ₿) is a decentralized digital currency that can be transferred on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network. Bitcoin transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public di ...
millionaire donated $5000 to provide half-price drinks and food to pensioners. It was later revealed that the person who claimed to be the landlord of the museum's building didn't actually own it, but Gray then managed to lease the building himself off the true owner. Gray co-founded pro-cannabis group Start The Conversation in 2013, ultimately attracting the support of Helen Kelly (in 2016), Marc Willers, and
Lucy Lawless Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined '' Battlestar Galactica'' se ...
(in 2018). Start The Conversation received a notice from
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
saying its ad account status had been disabled. Gray alleges the group is a victim of
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
's strict anti-cannabis stance, and said informed discussion was crucial in the lead-up to a referendum on cannabis. From 2015 to 2018 Gray appeared weekly on the
Radio Hauraki Radio Hauraki is a New Zealand rock music station that started in 1966. It was the first private commercial radio station of the modern broadcasting era in New Zealand and operated illegally until 1970 to break the monopoly held by the state-ow ...
Breakfast Show with
Matt Heath Matthew Philip Heath (born 1 November 1981) is an English former footballer who last played for Tadcaster Albion. Heath has previously played in the Premier League for Leicester City and in the Football League for Stockport County, Coventry Cit ...
and
Jeremy Wells Jeremy Wells (born 7 June 1977) is a New Zealand media personality who hosts the Radio Hauraki breakfast show with Matt Heath, '' Seven Sharp'' alongside Hilary Barry, and the NZ version of ''Taskmaster''. Career Wells first appeared on te ...
under the nickname "Abe from Whakamana". In 2018, when flying from Sydney to
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
, airport customs questioned Gray on wearing a cannabis T-shirt promoting the museum. The official kept probing him about the T-shirt and told him he should not wear it – especially when travelling to New Zealand. Gray said "I felt violated ... to have a pimple-faced Customs kid grilling me about my f...ing T-shirt, it was like a slap in the face coming back to the country." After
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
proctor Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts: * In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
Dave Scott, a former police officer, entered at least four student flats and removed drug-taking equipment, Gray sought legal advice for a possible private prosecution. Hundreds signed a petition for Scott to resign. Gray said a cannabis supporter known to him had pledged $25,000 to take a private prosecution. The Whakamana Cannabis Museum also offered to sponsor brand new water pipes for the flats. In 2019, Whakamana Cannabis Museum moved to a spot in Christchurch's Manchester St. The museum's Christchurch location was in
Shand's Emporium Shand's Emporium, previously known as Gee's, is a historic building in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. One of the oldest commercial buildings to remain from the time Christchurch was founded, it was relocated in June 2015 from its ...
, Christchurch's oldest commercial building. In 2019, Gray and Cookie Time founder Michael Mayell launched a PledgeMe crowdfunder, hoping to raise $2 million to publicly fund an expansion of the cannabis museum in Christchurch. They raised $214,616 from 299 donations. They were planning on calling it ''Whakamana, the New Zealand Institute of Cannabis Education, Research and Development'' with plans of an expanded version of Gray's Dunedin museum, including a hemp food cafe and restaurant, hemp emporium and an alcohol-free plant shot bar. Gray said recent scaremongering from the "anti-cannabis brigade" in response to those plans made it clearer that having somewhere like Whakamana presenting facts was even more critical in the lead up to the 2020 referendum and beyond. The Christchurch location closed down in 2020, after Gray had to move to
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by m ...
for his wife's job. A planned pop-up in Wellington timed to coincide with the 2020 referendum never materialised due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
. Gray ran for
The Opportunities Party The Opportunities Party (usually referred to as TOP) is a centrist political party based in New Zealand. It was founded in 2016 by economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan and is today led by Raf Manji. The party is based upon an idea of "evid ...
in Wellington Central in the
2020 New Zealand general election The 2020 New Zealand general election was held on Saturday 17 October 2020 to determine the composition of the 53rd parliament. Voters elected 120 members to the House of Representatives, 72 from single-member electorates and 48 from closed p ...
, coming fourth with 1,031 votes, and led the Yes We Cannabis campaign as a spinoff of Start The Conversation. Gray also served as
The Opportunities Party The Opportunities Party (usually referred to as TOP) is a centrist political party based in New Zealand. It was founded in 2016 by economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan and is today led by Raf Manji. The party is based upon an idea of "evid ...
's 2020 cannabis spokesperson, and was on a mission to be "the first Minister of Cannabis". Gray says he supported the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, and believes it was important to include edibles in the legislation to give people an alternative to smoking or vaping. Gray believes a regionalised model to cannabis is worth exploring. As of 2021, Gray now lives in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
, and is currently looking for a retail space to open the fourth iteration of the museum. The
2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and produ ...
didn't pass but regardless of the outcome, Gray plans to get the museum back up and running again in Auckland.


Views

Gray said he believes what stops marijuana law reform is that it's a direct challenge to existing power structures. Drug companies are reluctant, on financial grounds, to have laws that allow people to grow "medicine" in their back yards and police would be hesitant to water down laws that give them the power to search and prosecute hundreds of thousands of Kiwis, he says. "All of these barriers exist to change. Even if it seems obvious it should be done for the good of human rights." Gray believes public pressure for change will become more vocal as other countries, particularly Australia, adopt laws allowing marijuana for medical reasons. In 2016, following Rebecca Reider being allowed to travel through the customs at
Auckland Airport Auckland Airport is the largest and busiest airport in New Zealand, with over 21 million passengers in the year ended March 2019. The airport is located near Māngere, a residential suburb, and Airport Oaks, a service hub suburb south of the ...
with medicinal cannabis, Gray said Reider's success would open the way for others to bring in cannabis. Gray was skeptical that CBD gel being tested on patients in New Zealand with a specific form of epilepsy would change the mind of the
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
. "The current approach of the NZ Ministry of Health tends to ignore the evidence from people who have successfully used various cannabis products." He added, "My experience indicates that the real problem is not the lack of evidence, but the lack of resources to collect, assess and circulate that evidence in a transparent way and a lack of education of doctors and other medical experts on how and why cannabinoids work and how they can most effectively be used." In 2018, Gray said New Zealand risks being "completely left behind" if it continues to "drag its heels" regarding ending prohibition of cannabis. He says New Zealand could benefit from an annual $1 billion medicinal cannabis market and an annual $5 billion recreational market if cannabis is legalised. New Zealand is "already missing the boat on getting involved at the ground level with this globally important agricultural commodity".
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
's Dr Joseph Boden agrees, saying the data coming out of the American states where cannabis has been legalised has shown that there's a "huge tax take". Gray stated he agrees that CBD-only products are not terribly effective. " CBD on its own without any
THC Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) describes multiple isomers, the term ''THC'' ...
is the most ineffective form of medicinal cannabis but the most politically accepted, because it's a single compound that can be easily synthesised and has no psychoactive components. When it comes to medicinal use you need the full spectrum of components to work effectively." Gray predicted by 2030 that cannabis will "be as common as it is now, but it won't be as hidden away". Gray expects some cities to push back on cannabis legislation, but believed
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
would embrace it. Cannabis cafes would be around, Gray added, but he didn't think they'd be as common as bars. In 2020, following at least 10 incidents of gang members robbing and assaulting people using
Discord Discord is a VoIP and instant messaging social platform. Users have the ability to communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities called "servers".The developer documenta ...
to buy drugs, Gray says the issue is an example of harm caused by prohibition of cannabis. "No-one is going to meet someone in an alleyway to buy anything if it is available on the legal market. You can't issue consumer complaints on the black market either ... The other thing with
Discord Discord is a VoIP and instant messaging social platform. Users have the ability to communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities called "servers".The developer documenta ...
is that it is not how your mum or grandma used to buy cannabis and certainly not me. For young people, they are going to find a way, so we really have to decouple cannabis from the black market to keep them safe."


Personal life

Gray has lived in New Zealand since 2002 and now lives in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
. Gray has a Masters in Botany from
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
. Gray has two children and his wife is a surgeon in training.


Electoral history


2014 general election: Dunedin North


2016 Dunedin mayoral election The 2016 Dunedin mayoral election was held on Saturday, 8 October 2016 and was conducted under the Single transferable vote, single transferable voting system. Dave Cull, Dunedin's Mayor of Dunedin, 57th mayor, was re-elected after seeing off te ...


2017 Mount Albert by-election The 2017 Mount Albert by-election was a New Zealand by-election held in the electorate on 25 February 2017 during the 51st New Zealand Parliament. The seat was vacated following the resignation of David Shearer, a former Leader of the New Zeal ...


2017 general election: Dunedin North


2020 general election: Wellington Central


See also

*
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP), also known as the Cannabis Party, is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. Party history Cannabis in New ...
*
Cannabis in New Zealand The use of cannabis in New Zealand is regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, which makes unauthorised possession of any amount of cannabis a crime. Cannabis is the fourth-most widely used recreational drug in New Zealand, after caffeine, a ...
*
NORML New Zealand NORML New Zealand is a cannabis law reform organisation in New Zealand. It is a National Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Media and activism NORML New Zealand publish the print and electronic qua ...
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Otago NORML Otago University NORML (also known as simply Otago NORML or NORML Dunedin) is a pro cannabis (drug), cannabis law reform student club at the University of Otago, affiliated to the Otago University Students Association. It is a local chapter of th ...
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The Opportunities Party The Opportunities Party (usually referred to as TOP) is a centrist political party based in New Zealand. It was founded in 2016 by economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan and is today led by Raf Manji. The party is based upon an idea of "evid ...
* Whakamana Cannabis Museum


References


External links


Abe Gray's TOP profile
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Whakamana website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Abe 1982 births Living people People from Minneapolis University of Minnesota alumni University of Otago alumni University of Otago faculty The Opportunities Party politicians Unsuccessful candidates in the 2014 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 2017 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election New Zealand cannabis activists 21st-century New Zealand politicians Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party politicians Cannabis political party politicians American emigrants to New Zealand South High School (Minnesota) alumni