teological
Bluelighter
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n450/a05.html
Newshawk: Herb
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Mon, 10 Sep 2012
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2012 The Age Company Ltd
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Author: Bianca Hall
LICENSE GROWERS, SELLERS OF CANNABIS: REPORT
A REPORT has recommended the decriminalisation of cannabis and ecstasy in some circumstances, and the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association agrees a new approach is needed.
The report, by a group of prominent Australians including University of Melbourne's former dean of medicine David Penington, recommends that cannabis and ecstasy be decriminalised for people aged 16 and older who are willing to be recorded on a national confidential users' register.
Users would be able to buy drugs from an approved supplier, most likely a chemist.
The report, prepared by non-profit group Australia21, said prohibition had failed, leaving the manufacture and supply of illicit drugs in the hands of "criminal elements" and without proper safeguards and quality control.
Victorian AMA president Stephen Parnis said drugs policy should be based on evidence.
"We cannot allow prejudice to drive drugs policy in this country," he said. "It is really important that we keep looking at the evidence on this issue and don't allow ourselves to become closed-minded about the best way to deal with drug problems in our society."
One proposal in the report is that cannabis be controlled with taxation, with growers and sellers subject to "hard-to-get but easy-to-lose" licences for cultivation and wholesale and retail supply.
Cannabis packets would be required to be plain and have warning labels similar to cigarette packets, and people buying cannabis would be forced to show identification that proved their age.
Former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer said criminalisation was failing to deter drug users.
"On any objective assessment, policing of the illicit drug market has had only marginal impact on the profitability of the drug trade or the availability of illicit drugs" Mr Palmer said.
"Whilst controlling and reducing drug-related criminal trafficking and related offences must remain an important part of any strategy, it should be complementary to the primary aim of providing health and social care and support for drug addicts and users. This should not be construed, however, as suggesting that any message that is given is not strongly negative to drug use."
The report calls on the government to consider international examples such as Portugal and Switzerland, which have used decriminalisation in combination with law enforcement measures. All the international examples produced positive health benefits to users without increasing the rate of drug use.
It also calls for a national drug summit to be held next year, including a broad group of stakeholders, including parliamentarians from all sections of the political spectrum.
Greens Senator Richard Di Natale, who contributed to the report, said the report offered politicians a chance to discuss drugs policy without fear of political repercussions.
"I have lost count of the number of politicians who privately say to me, 'we're on the wrong track', but stay silent publicly," he said.
"What we need to be doing is starting to treat this issue as a health issue, rather than a law enforcement issue."
The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association and state and federal governments had demonstrated "a stubborn resistance" to discussing the benefits of reforming drugs policies.
Newshawk: Herb
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Mon, 10 Sep 2012
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2012 The Age Company Ltd
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Author: Bianca Hall
LICENSE GROWERS, SELLERS OF CANNABIS: REPORT
A REPORT has recommended the decriminalisation of cannabis and ecstasy in some circumstances, and the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association agrees a new approach is needed.
The report, by a group of prominent Australians including University of Melbourne's former dean of medicine David Penington, recommends that cannabis and ecstasy be decriminalised for people aged 16 and older who are willing to be recorded on a national confidential users' register.
Users would be able to buy drugs from an approved supplier, most likely a chemist.
The report, prepared by non-profit group Australia21, said prohibition had failed, leaving the manufacture and supply of illicit drugs in the hands of "criminal elements" and without proper safeguards and quality control.
Victorian AMA president Stephen Parnis said drugs policy should be based on evidence.
"We cannot allow prejudice to drive drugs policy in this country," he said. "It is really important that we keep looking at the evidence on this issue and don't allow ourselves to become closed-minded about the best way to deal with drug problems in our society."
One proposal in the report is that cannabis be controlled with taxation, with growers and sellers subject to "hard-to-get but easy-to-lose" licences for cultivation and wholesale and retail supply.
Cannabis packets would be required to be plain and have warning labels similar to cigarette packets, and people buying cannabis would be forced to show identification that proved their age.
Former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer said criminalisation was failing to deter drug users.
"On any objective assessment, policing of the illicit drug market has had only marginal impact on the profitability of the drug trade or the availability of illicit drugs" Mr Palmer said.
"Whilst controlling and reducing drug-related criminal trafficking and related offences must remain an important part of any strategy, it should be complementary to the primary aim of providing health and social care and support for drug addicts and users. This should not be construed, however, as suggesting that any message that is given is not strongly negative to drug use."
The report calls on the government to consider international examples such as Portugal and Switzerland, which have used decriminalisation in combination with law enforcement measures. All the international examples produced positive health benefits to users without increasing the rate of drug use.
It also calls for a national drug summit to be held next year, including a broad group of stakeholders, including parliamentarians from all sections of the political spectrum.
Greens Senator Richard Di Natale, who contributed to the report, said the report offered politicians a chance to discuss drugs policy without fear of political repercussions.
"I have lost count of the number of politicians who privately say to me, 'we're on the wrong track', but stay silent publicly," he said.
"What we need to be doing is starting to treat this issue as a health issue, rather than a law enforcement issue."
The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association and state and federal governments had demonstrated "a stubborn resistance" to discussing the benefits of reforming drugs policies.
