New cannabis law kicks off today
By Ben Martin
FROM today, possession of small amounts of cannabis might not be considered a crime in WA.
At a police officer's discretion, a person can have up to 30g and still avoid a criminal record, instead paying a fine up to $150 and going to compulsory drug education classes.
And a household will be allowed to grow two cannabis plants without the occupants facing criminal charges. They will be fined $200 and have to go to drug education classes.
The changes were recommended at the community drug summit in 2001. The Government's aim is that more people will be referred for medical help for cannabis use and that people in the compulsory education and treatment programs will understand the health effects of cannabis.
Police do not expect a big change from the Court government policy which gave officers the discretion to issue cautions to first offenders.
Organised crime Det-Supt Jim Migro said the changes would cut the time police spent on administrative tasks and court appearances over small amounts of cannabis.
But police would not be more lenient on drug dealers and or less vigilant when investigating drug use.
Dealers would still be charged with criminal offences and police still could charge people even if they had less than 30g of the drug.
The new laws expressly prohibited hydroponically grown plants.
Supt Migro said it was important to note that possessing cannabis was not legal under the new laws but had simply been decriminalised.
The Opposition said the message for young people was that possessing cannabis was not serious.
Opposition Leader Colin Barnett and Liberal MLC Simon O'Brien visited a drug rehabilitation centre for girls yesterday.
Mr O'Brien said a Liberal government would repeal the laws - they were a danger to children.
Mr Barnett said the laws, which would be interpreted as tacit approval of cannabis use, were trendy among some sections of the community who had influenced Premier Geoff Gallop's law-making.
Dr Gallop said Mr Barnett was a desperate politician in a desperate situation and the misinformation did the Opposition very little credit.
The laws were common sense, the punishment would fit the offence.
Cannabis use was still illegal and campaigns against traffickers would continue. "A lot of (police) work has been taken up in these sorts of offences and they would much rather be going for the drug traffickers," Dr Gallop said.
