Pubdate: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Page: C4 Contact: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Author: Alex Wodak, President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation and director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney. DRUG REFORM: US SAYS YES FOR DECADES, conventional drug policy has been sustained by powerful myths. One of the most potent of these myths was the widespread belief that support for drug-policy reform inevitably meant political suicide at the ballot box. Results in this week's United States mid-term Congressional elections are further evidence that support for a rigid "tough on drugs" approach may soon he a political liability. Perhaps that day has already arrived. Voters in six western states and the District of Columbia took part in 11 ballots on drug policy. A majority of voters in all 11 ballots supported drug reform. In Alaska, 58 per cent of voters supported a proposal to allow the controlled use of cannabis for patients with cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses provided they had a doctor's approval. In Arizona, 67 per cent of voters rejected a proposal to overturn a 1996 medical marijuana law, 52 per cent rejected an attempt by the state legislature to dismantle mandatory treatment and education for first- and second-time drug offenders, while 52 per cent supported a block on the state Govermuent's authority to veto or amend initiatives and referendums supported earlier by a majority of voters. In Colorado, 67 per cent supported an amendment to allow patients with a debilitating condition to discuss with their doctor the benefits and side effects of medical use of cannabis. Patients with a doctor's prescription and written permission from the state health agency would be immune from prosecution. Authorities attempted unsuccessfully to stop this vote being tallied. In Nevada, 59 per cent of voters supported a proposal to allow doctors to recommend medical use of cannabis to patients with cancer, AIDS and other debilitating conditions. In Oregon, 52 per cent supported a ballot to make smoked marijuana legal for patients with cancer. AIDS and other debilitating conditions provided this had a doctor's approval. In a second ballot, 67 per cent rejected a 1997 attempt by the state's legislature to once again make possession of one ounce of cannabis punishable by a fine of up to $1000 and 80 days in jail. In the state of Washington, 59 per cent supported an initiative to remove criminal penalties from the medical use of cannabis for patients with debilitating diseases if they had their doctor's approval. In Washington DC, a majority supported an initiative to permit possession and use of marijuana, if recommended by a doctor, for patients with serious illnesses. Because Congress passed recent legislation prohibiting any federal funding being expended on this initiative, the results will be tallied but not registered with the election commission. The people of the US have spoken and they have spoken clearly. They are ready to move on from ideological policies which do not work, to evidence-based policies which are both effective and compassionate. These results will have a considerable influence on the electoral politics of illicit drugs in the US. Inevitably, some impact will soon be felt in Australia. No-one should be in the least surprised by these results. Clear majorities supported medical cannabis in California and Arizona in ballots coinciding with the US elections two years ago. Focus groups suggested that the results in the 1996 California ballot were influenced by a duplicitous attempt by authorities to block a scientific evaluation of the medical use of cannabis. In Switzerland in September' 1997, 71 per cent of voters in a national referendum (with majorities in all 26 cantons) rejected a proposal to stop the prescription of heroin following a successful medical trial. The 1998 US election results also confirmed what many had long suspected. While politicians and the media were obsessed with the politics developing from the investigation of the President, the people remained focused on issues that really mattered like employment, health and education. In Australia, senior police, capital-city mayors, leaders of the medical and legal professions and influential community members have recognised that conventional illicit-drug policies, relying heavily on law enforcement, have failed resoundingly and support a search for more effective responses. When community members are surveyed about illicit drugs with questions specifying the penalties attached to minor possession offences, support for current policies is unimpressive. Another of the myths sustaining current policy has been the absurd notion that the only choice lies between the status quo and legalisation. But drug-reformers - advocate a third and moderate approach, rejecting, both the excesses of a war on drugs and a free-market, legalisation response. Permitting medicinal use of cannabis for patients with terminal conditions should not be a difficult or controversial matter to resolve in a compassionate country like Australia. Yet, medicinal use of cannabis is denied because of bans on recreational use of the drug. Illicit drugs continue to be a major issue in Australia. The US election results indicate that the ground is moving from under the politicians. Politicians and parties who choose to ignore these messages will not survive. - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady