Cannabis Laws Unlikely To Reduce Use: Researcher

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A research institute says the passing of the State Government's Cannabis Law Reform Bill will not have a huge impact on reducing cannabis use.

 

The new legislation repeals previous laws which allowed people to grow two plants and it reduces the legal possession limit from 30 grams to 10 grams.

 

It also bans the sale of smoking implements.

 

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Institute's director Steve Allsop has told the ABC that a treatment and education campaign would be more effective.

 

"Simply relying on an approach that toughens up the law is unlikely to have much impact because the majority of people who use cannabis don't ever get caught," he said.

 

"What we didn't do was invest enough in building more access to treatment."

 

The Attorney General Christian Porter is confident the new law can be policed.

 

Mr Porter says if people ignore the law they will get caught.

 

"Police investigate and police have the information come in from a whole range of sources; from neighbours to Western Power to you name it," he said.

 

"Policing techniques are very sophisticated. Rest assured that police can and will capture people and detect people who grow cannabis plants in their house."

 

Date: 27 September 2010

Source: ABC News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/27/3022831.htm