Subj: Australia: Plan To Relax Laws On Cannabis



Pubdate: Fri, 21 May 1999



Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia)





PLAN TO RELAX LAWS ON CANNABIS



A proposal to remove jail terms for personal use of cannabis was

passed by the NSW Drug Summit last night.



The summit also backed a proposal to decriminalise the offence of

self-administration of an illegal substance.



State Attorney-General Jeff Shaw said the cannabis proposal was not to

decriminalise cannabis, rather to remove jail terms for personal use

and the introduction of a cautioning system similar to that used in

Victoria.



``We have to take the new ideas from this summit and have the courage

to test them out in the real world,'' Mr Shaw said.



The proposal will remove jail terms for possession and cultivation of

small amounts of cannabis as well as possession and sale of equipment

like water bongs.



Mr Shaw said it would help keep young people out of the criminal

justice system.