|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Australia: Fight Looms On Cannabis Law Change
Cian Manton West Australian
Thursday 20 Mar 2003 THE State Government will begin formal moves today to decriminalise cannabis. Under the Cannabis Control Bill, to be introduced into Parliament today, people growing two plants or possessing less than 30g of the drug for personal use will not be treated as criminals but instead get on-the-spot fines of up to $200. The Opposition has vowed to block the legislation in Parliament and oppose it in the community. Leader Colin Barnett challenged Premier Geoff Gallop yesterday to explain to WA parents why he supported legitimising a drug proved to cause harm. Health Minister Bob Kucera said cannabis would remain illegal and all users would be penalised. He denied that the Government was taking a soft stance on drugs, saying the laws included tougher thresholds for dealing and the introduction of regulations for smoking paraphernalia suppliers. "We want to show quite clearly that although we don't believe that users should get a criminal record, we simply don't want them to smoke cannabis," Mr Kucera said. Police still had the discretion to charge people caught with small amounts of cannabis. And people could opt for a lecture on the dangers of cannabis use instead of a fine. Mr Barnett said Dr Gallop was sending out a message to children that cannabis was acceptable. "This society does not need another widely used and legitimised drug. This will be a defining issue at the next election," he said. Opposition drug abuse strategy spokesman Simon O'Brien said Labor members who were parents were gutless if they did not stand up against the laws. "Cannabis is not a safe drug and it will do damage to the sort of people governments are meant to protect," he said. "It will harm people who don't have options in their lives, people who don't have role models, people without family." Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation State president Jason Meotti said he was delighted that the Government had acted on one of the main recommendations of the community drug summit. "The focus on the cannabis issue will be switched formally from minor users and on to the dealers," he said. He called on politicians to view the legislation in the same bipartisan way that the drug summit was undertaken. The foundation supported the Government's move to keep hydroponic cultivation as a criminal offence but questioned the failure to decriminalise smoking implements. Mr Meotti hoped that with the stigma surrounding cannabis use removed, the Government would introduce an education and health awareness campaign for users.
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!