Police intervene at `smoke in'

By Bernard Wunsch

BRISBANE -- Up to 40 police intervened in a “smoke in” at the University Of Queensland on February 23. The action was organised by the Student Union and the student club High Society.

Four students were detained for possible possession of marijuana but were released when it was found the police had confiscated three bags of parsley and more than 100 parsley “joints”.

The protest was the climax of the “Stoned Week” campaign by the Student Union to legalise marijuana. More than 300 students attended the protest and heard several speakers on legalisation. They became very vocal in chanting “Pigs off campus” when the police interrupted the meeting.

Under the Drugs Misuse Act, the maximum penalty for possession of one “joint” is 15 years' jail. The majority of people convicted are young people. Martin Bush, president of High Society, said the police methods at the protest “demonstrated how ridiculous the drug laws are”.

The meeting reflected anger at the Goss Labor government's continuation of this legislation. In a vote taken at the protest, students unanimously voiced approval for legalisation of marijuana.

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