Dunne had merged with a religious political party and with that came Gordon Copeland. However, Dunne's political grunt has been evident for 11 elections, even when the chips are down. In the 2014 election, Dunne was facing rare controversy. This provided a clear and scientific path to legitimacy for legal highs as well as for other recreational drugs such as marijuana and, surprisingly, Dunne told me, potentially ecstasy. In fact, if it weren't for politics, differing opinions, controversies and that Easter Bunny, Dunne would have quietly battled down an evidence-led path.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 14, 2017 16:02 UTC