Pubdate: Tue, 01 Feb 2005
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewest.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495
Author: Cathy O'Leary
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

DOCTORS DEMAND TOUGHER DRUG LAWS

WA doctors have reignited cannabis laws as a critical election issue,
demanding the state's soft drug regime be replaced by criminal charges
and substantially tougher penalties.

The Australian Medical Association said last night the existing laws,
which allow those caught with a small amount of cannabis to either pay
on-the-spot fines of up to $150 or attend educational seminars, failed
to deter young marijuana users, some of whom would move on to harder
drugs.

The AMA attacked the State Government for introducing the laws last
year and then accused the Opposition of being "wishy-washy" on the
issue, saying it wanted a Coalition commitment to dump the on-the-spot
fines if it won the election.

The doctors lobby believes thousands of parents around the State are
vehemently opposed to the decriminalisation of marijuana. They believe
promises to introduce tougher laws would prove a political winner for
both parties.

Under the laws introduced last year, people caught with less than 30g
of cannabis or with smoking implements can either pay a fine of up to
$150 or attend a drug education session.

They also allow households to grow up two cannabis plants without the
occupants facing criminal charges, instead providing for them to be
fined $200 or sent to education sessions.

AMA WA president Paul Skerritt said WA's "soft-on-drugs experiment"
had been a dismal failure and the State Government should withdraw the
ill-conceived laws.

He said politicians needed to send a strong message to the community,
particularly young people, that so-called recreational drugs were
dangerous and socially unacceptable.

Giving police discretion to issue infringement notices rather than
laying criminal charges was an experiment which had failed.

"Figures for the first three months of the new cannabis laws showed
that almost half of the 1000 infringement notices were ignored," he
said.

"That means the offenders thought the new laws were a joke and not to
be taken seriously. There is also plenty of evidence to show that a
big percentage of cannabis users tend to move on to harder drugs which
are also rampant in our community."

Dr Skerritt said he was not advocating a move to draconian laws or
sending everyone who used drugs off to jail.

But he said a tougher line accompanied by better drug education in
schools and more rehabilitation programs were long overdue.

The idea that cannabis was a soft drug should be dead and buried, he
said. Apart from being a gateway to harder drugs, it was dangerous in
itself.

"Cannabis can provoke very serious mental illnesses and its risks are
not to be taken lightly," he said.

"These drugs are not a simple bit of fun or a case of 'boys will be
boys', so we don't think a little slap on the wrist is the appropriate
way to deal with them. It's a criminal offence and should be dealt
with that way."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin