ALP won't decriminalise marijuana

BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE

HOBART -- The ALP government has reneged on an election campaign promise to decriminalise marijuana use in Tasmania. Instead, minor violations of the laws against marijuana use will result in cautioning for first-time offenders, a compulsory “education” session for second-time offenders and (depending on the circumstances) “education or treatment” for third-time offenders.

Hobart Resistance organiser Nikki Ulasowski told Green Left Weekly that Labor's pre-election promise to decriminalise marijuana was pretty tame to begin with. “Personal use of marijuana should be completely legal, without restriction”, she said.

She pointed out, “Public health problems caused by marijuana use are minor compared to the problems caused by legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. The biggest problems associated with marijuana use are a result of the drug being illegal.”

Ulasowski said that because the government's new strategy might keep some people out of the courts, it is an improvement on the status quo. “Nevertheless, it unnecessarily treats marijuana users as if they have done something wrong.”

Public Interest Network spokesperson Esla McGregor told Green Left that Premier Jim Bacon should pull his head out of the sand and recognise that Tasmania has a drug problem. “The government should allow heroin trials to go ahead and lead the country by decriminalising drug use”, she said.

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