In 2009, I wrote a piece on the social costs of drugs for NORML; it appeared in their NORML News magazine. The police later sought to have several issues of NORML News deemed Objectionable; some articles described hashish production methods.

The Office of Film and Literature Classification determines who is allowed to consume which thoughts. Every film distributed here must have a rating from the Censor’s Office; video games must also be rated if they have been restricted in Australia or the UK. Some of these ratings can help parents make informed decisions; others go just a tad beyond that. A film rated as RP13 is one that a twelve year old can watch with an adult. But one that is rated R13, like “Sharknado 2: The Second One”, is illegal to watch with your twelve year old, if you import the DVD or stream it on Netflix. If it airs instead on TV One, that’s okay: a different law applies.

If you sit down to watch Sharknado 2 on Netflix with your twelve year old, you will have committed an offence of strict liability under Section 125, with fine of up to $3000. If you knew about the Classification Office’s decision, you could instead get a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 3 months in jail; Section 126 increases the penalty if you have reasonable cause to believe the film is restricted, and I’ve just told you it is. Congratulations! And thanks, Office of Film and Literature Classification, for making it illegal for me to make that decision about what’s appropriate for my family. This isn’t helping parents make informed decisions; it’s thought control.

The issue of NORML News in which my article appeared wound up being deemed R18. I could be fined up to $10,000, or be subject to imprisonment, for giving a copy to my kids for any future high school research projects.

It gets worse than that. Lots of books were deemed objectionable in the 60s for gay and lesbian content; those rulings still stand. The proposed “Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill” toughens penalties: Don’t be caught watching a Netflix title deemed Objectionable in New Zealand, like the 2010 remake of “I Spit on Your Grave”. And be careful which books you import from Book Depository.

The Herald reports that New Zealand’s Chief Censor is rather aggrieved: Kiwis are accessing films online that haven’t been rated by his office and video game manufacturers are not keen on paying substantial fees to his office for classifications. I’m aggrieved instead that this office still exists.

I’ve written before about our being the Outside of the Asylum. This is very much Inside-the-Asylum stuff.