Otago NORML

[citation needed] Sally Caswell investigates the effects of cannabis intoxication on subjects volunteered from among the ranks of Otago NORML.

[7] In 2003 members of Otago NORML marched to the Dunedin Central Police Station and hot-boxed the main foyer as part of the annual 'J-Day' protest.

[10] As a result, the University invited undercover police on to campus to surveil and attempt to disrupt Otago NORML's activities.

[15] There was considerable backlash against these initiatives and the final agenda for the Student General Meeting, held on 25 September, saw numerous motions seeking to remove official OUSA support for the group.

[citation needed] After considerable media and police interest, several trespass notices were issued to non-student members and the group leader was charged for cannabis offences at a market day.

The Campus Watch had attempted to prevent club members from congregating on the Otago University Union Lawn and smoking cannabis on Fridays throughout late 2007.

[24] Otago NORML members had suspected police surveillance of their twice weekly '420 smoke-up protest' group from as early as February 2008.

[28] In July 2008, the leader of Otago NORML was arrested for smoking cannabis at a Market Day on the University Union Lawn.

The search powers of the officers was contested at the time by the arrestee, and the ensuing verbal altercation attracted considerable attention from the Market Day crowd.

[citation needed] Several weeks later, posters titled "Narkiology 101 – How To Spot a Nark" began to appear around the Otago University campus showing the pictures, names and badge identification numbers of the five plainclothes police officers dressed up as students that had so far been identified.