Pubdate: Fri, 12 Apr 2002
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2002 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewest.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495
Author: Wendy Pryer and Mark Mallabone
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

DRUG LAW CHOICE FOR POLICE: KUCERA

POLICE would get the discretion to override proposed new cannabis 
laws and charge people who possessed or cultivated small but 
otherwise legal amounts of the drug, Health Minister Bob Kucera said 
yesterday.

A task force appointed by Mr Kucera to advise on softer cannabis laws 
has found that a problem with South Australian cannabis law is the 
inability of police to use their discretion and charge people they 
believe are selling the drug when technically not breaking the law.

"Police discretion should always override these issues in this State 
on anything to do with drugs," he said in debate in the Legislative 
Assembly on the new laws.

The task force report was given to the Government just before Easter 
but it is understood its recommendations have yet to be considered by 
Cabinet.

Mr Kucera has said the report would be made public once it has been to Cabinet.

The Opposition attacked the Government over its cannabis reform plans 
yesterday. It said the changes amounted to decriminalisation of 
possession and cultivation and would result in more people using the 
drug.

Debate got personal, with Labor MLA Mark McGowan responding to 
Liberal goading about whether he had used the drug - his answer was 
that he never had.

Liberal leader Colin Barnett and Liberal police spokesman Matt Birney 
refused to answer when Mr McGowan asked if they had used the drug.

In Canberra, an academic has called for police warnings to the public 
over rogue batches of party drugs as part of a national illicit drug 
testing program.

Sydney's National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre information 
officer Paul Dillon said the contentious move was designed to provide 
good quality and potentially lifesaving information to recreational 
users.

Under the program, drug users could get their drugs tested for 
impurities or toxins at official mobile drug testing units parked 
outside rave parties or nightclubs.

Mr Dillon said similar programs had been running successfully in Europe.
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MAP posted-by: Josh