Pubdate: Tue, 19 Feb 2002
Source: Advertiser, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2002 News Limited
Contact:  http://www.advertiser.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

GREENS PROPOSE CANNABIS CAFES

Proposed cannabis cafes would be places where people could educate 
themselves about the health effects of pot-smoking as well as legally using 
the drug, NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said.

Greens legislation to be launched today and introduced in the NSW 
parliament later this month includes provisions for patrons to legally buy 
and use cannabis in specially designated cafes."People can buy small 
amounts of marijuana and also learn about the health impacts (in the 
proposed cafes)," Ms Rhiannon told Sydney radio 2GB.The plan would involve 
the establishment of three cannabis cafes in NSW - in Sydney, on the north 
coast and in a regional area.Doctors and allied health professionals would 
also be given greater freedom to prescribe cannabis to patients.The bill 
also proposes the legalisation of possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis 
for personal use.Ms Rhiannon said she was aware the World Health 
Organisation discouraged cannabis use, but said there was a shifting 
attitude amongst health professionals towards the health benefits.Ms 
Rhiannon said she did not personally use marijuana and the world would be a 
better place without it."All the Greens are saying (is) people shouldn't be 
locked up for it, they shouldn't be fined and what they should be able to 
do is access information about the health consequences and get access to 
counselling services," she said."Prohibition doesn't work, it just makes 
life harder for people.When marijuana was made legal in Holland, for 
instance, its use decreased, she said.She said 20 per cent of Australians 
used marijuana and they should not be treated as criminals."In your 
industry, the media industry, you know that so many journalists use 
marijuana," she told Ray Hadley on 2GB.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager