Subject: Australia: Victoria: Bracks Still Wants To Decriminalise Marijuana



Pubdate: Tue, 09 Nov 1999



Source: Australian Associated Press (Australia)





BRACKS STILL WANTS TO DECRIMINALISE MARIJUANA



MELBOURNE - Victorian Premier Steve Bracks today reaffirmed his desire to

decriminalise possession of small amounts of marijuana in his first four

years in office.



Bracks tangled with John Howard over his plan last week when the prime

minister attacked it for sending the wrong message and running counter to

society's growing distaste for cigarette smoking.



Bracks described that criticism as glib today and said decriminalisation

was a low priority for the government.



"It is something we are committed to, but if there is further evidence or

advice which comes in I'll be certainly taking that into account," Bracks

said on radio 3AW.



Bracks said he would like to be a drugs prohibitionist but had come to

realise the issue should be treated as a medical one.