Pubdate: Mon, 10 Sep 2012
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2012 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  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.

With AAP
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom