Focus on Cannabis

[meeza]

A State Government's inquiry is probing arguments for decriminalising, taxing and regulating cannabis production. IAN FRAZER reports

 

THE most widely used illicit drug in Queensland looks likely to stay that way despite the case for making cannabis as respectable as chardonnay.

 

The State Government's Social Development Committee has considered arguments for decriminalising, taxing and regulating cannabis production during an inquiry this year.

 

But the committee's chairwoman Mundingburra MP Lindy Nelson-Carr said this week it would take a brave government to legalise use of the drug, given evidence of its harm.

 

"It's another consideration but I would be surprised given the illegal status of cannabis everywhere," she said.

 

The inquiry into ways of addressing cannabis-related harm in Queensland drew about 170 submissions.

 

Many of the 60 responses published on the Queensland Parliament website express concern about the physical, mental and social side effects of cannabis use.

 

Mrs Nelson-Carr said the committee's findings would be tabled within the next couple of months.

 

While declining to discuss recommendations she said they would include educating school children on the long-term health risks of cannabis use.

 

The most recent National Drug Strategy Household Survey, in 2007, found that 5.5 million people aged 14 years or older had used cannabis at some point in their lives.

 

Nearly 10 per cent of Queenslanders from that age group had used the drug in the previous 12 months and about 20 per cent of 14 to 24-year-olds had used cannabis in the preceding year.

 

This survey also found some evidence of a decline in use of cannabis.

 

Parliament called the inquiry last year to investigate claims by the Drug Free Australia lobby group in a research paper titled Cannabis: suicide, schizophrenia and other ill-effects.

 

The group, headed by NSW Magistrate Craig Thompson, is pushing governments to adopt new, long-term prevention measures, including improved drug-education in schools.

 

Mrs Nelson-Carr's committee was tasked with considering cannabis-use risks, especially for young people, and suggesting ways to reduce use of the drug in Queensland.

 

She says there was strong evidence of health risks such lung cancer and mental illness, apparent in chronic users aged in their 50s and 60s.

 

"We want to get to children before it gets to that stage," she said.

 

But the Queensland Secondary Principals Association has rejected Drug Free Australia's advocacy for drug testing in schools.

 

The principals' submission describes this idea as absurd and argues that teachers need extra training in drug education.

 

"The positive information that needs to be conveyed is that 90.5 per cent of young people did not use cannabis in the previous 12 months," they say.

 

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists acknowledge research suggesting a link between early cannabis use and later mental health problems.

 

The psychiatrists want improved resources for a harm-minimisation approach to illicit drug use.

 

They suggest young people might not try cannabis if they feel included and accepted in early childhood and at school.

 

The Australian Association of Social Workers made 11 recommendations including a national preventative media campaign targeting young people and parents.

 

Cancer Council Queensland highlighted the risks of smoking cannabis, arguing that the presence of more than 1500 toxic chemicals made marijuana fumes more carcinogenic than tobacco smoke.

 

There were good grounds for believing addicts faced a significant risk of cancer of the digestive and respiratory systems.

 

The Heart Foundation advocated a Cannabis Quit campaign to be financed by State and Federal governments and targeted interventions to reach high-risk groups such as teenagers and indigenous people.

 

Dr Alex Wodak, president of the Australian Drug Law reform Foundation put the case for legalising cannabis and controlling its use by taxation and regulation.

 

"More than two million Australians will consume cannabis in 2010," he wrote in his submission.

 

"In the presence of strong demand and in the absence of a legal source, supply will inevitably be obtained from illegal sources, often controlled by criminals and corrupt police.

 

"Taxation and regulation would allow governments to reduce consumption by under-age persons, ensure health warnings (and) establish a system of hard-to-get and easy-to-lose licences for cultivation and sale," he wrote.

 

The case for decriminalisation was also put by Dr Peter Thompson, of Rockhampton Hospital.

 

"Criminalisation has not worked and the current restrictive processes in place across the country continue to be inadequate," he wrote.

 

"'If we divert the monies currently spent on reacting to criminal activity and similarly the costs incurred through emergency (departments) and crisis needs, we would have a large sum to focus on education needs."

 

Dr Thompson suggested production of cannabis could be nationalised, to provide supplies for therapeutic use, in conjunction with counselling.

[meeza]

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[phreakah]

Hmmm seems strange the government doesn't want their hand in the cannabis tax pie.

At least we wouldn't get charged for possession and they get some money to put back into our health... maybe.

More likely they will up their wages at the same time and go buy an ounce

[headstone]

I hope they legalise it, but im not going to hold my breath. I did vote though

[cybergenesis]

Cannabis related Harm and long term negative health effects? What a load of rubbish.

 

There is no hard scientific evidence proving that cannabis causes any serious mental or physical disorder or "social harm"

 

Smoking cannabis is not good for your lungs in the long term, but besides that there is no evidence that any other effects from cannabis are anything but transient.

 

Banning Cannabis for "Cannabis related harms" is like banning cars because they may cause motion sickness.

 

This Smiley well represents how I feel regarding how Cannabis is spoken about in this country:

 

I mean the truth is Cannabis is so very much less harmful than alcohol, that if 20% of alcoholics in this country switched to cannabis because it was legalized, it would improve the overall health situation in this country.

 

I remember when they were talking about the aborginals now smoking cannabis. And saying how there is now an endemic of cannabis psychosis and cannabis harm in aborginal communities.

 

What a load of rubbish. Smartest thing a young aboriginal person could ever do is pick up a bong instead of a can of petrol to sniff. I really hope aboriginal people turn to cannabis in greater and greater numbers and stop spending their money on alcohol and petrol and solvents.

Edited August 30, 2010 by cybergenesis

[meeza]

I agree cybergenesis, and there are numerous news articles at the moment about how cannabis use is on the rise in remote indigenous communities. The sad part though is that they are being highly exploited by dealers and are being charged at extremely exorbitant prices, considering they could be growing it themselves in their backyard.

[mull]

"More than two million Australians will consume cannabis in 2010," he wrote in his submission.

 

Gotta sing it!

[Fibrofeend]

Again good on Dr Alex Wodak for being the only one to present sane and logical options , based around fact and not on morals based on fear, ignorance and lies.

[snooch]

Again good on Dr Alex Wodak for being the only one to present sane and logical options , based around fact and not on morals based on fear, ignorance and lies.

 

agree wholeheartedly fibro

 

But I find it amazing that..

 

Parliament called the inquiry last year to investigate claims by the Drug Free Australia lobby group in a research paper titled Cannabis: suicide, schizophrenia and other ill-effects.

 

So they'll fund some candy-arse inquiry that quite obviously has pre-determined outcomes based on a research paper from a frikkin' ill-informed lobby group like DFA So why not call an inquiry to investigate some of the many, many claims Wodak has made in his research papers??!!! hmmmm

 

But the committee's chairwoman Mundingburra MP Lindy Nelson-Carr said this week it would take a brave government to legalise use of the drug, given evidence of its harm.

"It's another consideration but I would be surprised given the illegal status of cannabis everywhere," she said.

 

They don't want to listen, they don't want to know and it's so frustrating it's not funny!

[mull-ray]

But the committee's chairwoman Mundingburra MP Lindy Nelson-Carr said this week it would take a brave government to legalise use of the drug, given evidence of its harm.

 

"It's another consideration but I would be surprised given the illegal status of cannabis everywhere," she said.

 

Forgetting the 15 US Med states which consist of a vastly larger population than Australia's. Forgetting that California is voting on Proposition 19 (leglization) very shortly. Forgetting that Mexico has legalised personal use for ALL drugs, forgetting Portugel and so on. How is it Australians are so parochial, dumb and myopic???