WA PASSES NEW CANNABIS BILL

[Guest niall]

chev81: You're still a criminal! And yes, the police have complete discretion in whether you get a CIN or not - they could just charge you if they like and let the courts deal with you (which if you're within the guidelines will probably be the same fine as a CIN plus a bit for court costs).

 

Luke Skywalker: "leaf" is what the journalist wrote, the Bill obviously deals with cannabis in any vegetative form. I'm pretty sure the Bill defined hydroponic as a non-soil medium suspended in water. Indoors with lights shouldn't be classified as hydro as long as you're using soil and non-hydroponic nutrients and no automated watering system.

 

Taz Stoner: If you harvest more than 30g, you're ineligible for a CIN and will be charged. More than 100g and you're charged with dealing. WA people should only harvest up to 30g at a time - you can get away with a CIN with both up to 30g and two non-hydroponic plants, so just harvest what you need as it ripens.

 

Kash: They can't revoke licences based on what customers do with their equipment, they revoke them if the retailer knowingly sold it to you for that purpose. Once it leaves the store, unless they believed you were going to use it for cannabis, it's not their responsibility.

 

All up, this is sensible legislation with concessions for personal cultivation, possession and use. It's not perfect legislation, but it's pretty damn good - we've made clear progress with this Bill. If you're just growing and using yourself, you've got little to worry about - a fine or attend an "education" session if you get caught. The chance that you'll be caught is still very low, probably lower now than before the Bill as society's tolerance for cannabis will rise. Then again, there may be significant net-widening as South Australia experienced - only time will tell if WA has improved on their model.

 

This really is good news. The effects will be studied in detail by the National Drug Research Institute here in Perth, and they will release a wealth of measurements and evidence that this new policy was a success. In time, incremental changes will be made. Cannabis is now in its own legislation, external to the Misuse of Drugs act, so it's a lot easier for these laws to be tweaked and changed now than it ever was.

 

NOTE: these laws will not come into effect for about 6 months, until the Police handbook and procedure/training has been updated. You could probably use it as a court defence, to avoid a criminal record, until it has been fully implemented. So, by April the first CINs will be issued. Until then, keep your head down and stay safe, as usual.

[pipeman]

does anyone know how they deal with hash or oil? I mean if you are a chronic smoker/med user an ounce per harvest isn't going to cut it. So what if you reduced your harvests to oil or hash?

[Tom]

High australian_activist, welcome to Oz Stoners.

 

All up, this is sensible legislation with concessions for personal cultivation, possession and use.

I have to disagree with this as a good plant should provide around 3 dry ounces, It also needs to be flushed before harvest which makes it difficult to trim off small amounts at a time, the limit of 2 plants does not allow for males or hermies and the ban on hydro is just plain stupid as indoor soil grows have more risk of bug infestations.

 

Having said that it is still a step in the right direction, pity they didn't do some research here though.

[Guest Guest]

does anyone know how they deal with hash or oil?  I mean if you are a chronic smoker/med user an ounce per harvest isn't going to cut it.  So what if you reduced your harvests to oil or hash?

Hash and oil aren't covered by CINs, you get charged as normal.

[Guest niall]

All up, this is sensible legislation with concessions for personal cultivation, possession and use.

I have to disagree with this as a good plant should provide around 3 dry ounces, It also needs to be flushed before harvest which makes it difficult to trim off small amounts at a time, the limit of 2 plants does not allow for males or hermies and the ban on hydro is just plain stupid as indoor soil grows have more risk of bug infestations.

 

Having said that it is still a step in the right direction, pity they didn't do some research here though.

Yes, there are obvious flaws in the legislation, but they are not making this legal. They are giving users small concessions. I didn't say it was perfect, but I do believe it's sensible as a first, small step.

 

We couldn't have gotten a better deal, this is probably the most realistic cannabis legislation in Australia. This first step is obviously small, but they could not have pushed this further than they already did - Labor and the Greens should be commended for what they actually achieved here, something no other Government has been willing to address until now.

 

As far as reducing penalties for personal cultivation, possession and use - this is a major improvement. I believe strict regulation of commercial cultivation and supply is the only solution, with no limits on personal use when the market has been de-valued (dried flowers should be a few dollars a pound, not hundreds of dollars per ounce!), and this is a definite step towards regulation.

 

They don't care if your bud has been properly flushed, if you grew hermies or males, or suffer from pests. It is illegal! However, it is now possible for you to grow and possess limited amounts for personal use without getting a criminal record. If you can't bring yourself to harvest only 30g at a time, or sub-optimal flowers, you won't be eligible for a CIN. Your choice mate

[Luke Skywalker]

An unrealistic set of laws set down with police discretion at the heart of them is bound to be exposed to massive corruptive influences.

 

And I still think the hydroponics retailers are getting a raw deal indeed. Licencing premisis? Severe penalties? No one seems to remember that bit. Most local hydro shops are either going to have to be veeeeeeery careful, even more so than at present, or they will just give it up. They're making enforcement the job of the retailer! For christs sake, how much money do you guys and gals think goes through the hydroponic industry in this country? Millions and millions of dollars worth of that business is devoted exclusively to cultivating home-grown cannabis...

 

If the law wasn't introducing harsher penalties generally for possesion and cultivation, (read the fine print and you find that if your not eligible for a CIN, you are charged with offences which are now much increased in sentencing guidelines.) and doing it's best to turn the people into police, and maybe if it wasn't trying to eliminate the hydroponics industry in the state.... then I'd support it. I was cautiously optimistic when they said they'd be reforming.... He's made such a botched job of this and other things that I can only expect this WA gov to be the first single term government since the 30's.... Bastard doesn't have any standards, just sells himself out to either the highest bidder or the best PR result...

 

Sorry, but this really pisses me off... WA growers are going to be worse off for this law, not better. A judge would probably give you a fine and be done with it, even with a few plants in this state. Now the penalties are harsher, not only for the grower but the hydroponic retailer who sells you the products.... (just had a thought, what if you go to bunnings? ) and they call it "reform" and "decriminalisation".... :angry:

[pipeman]

hey Luke I don't think its as bad for hydro stores as what you say. Its only if a hydro store *knowingly* sells for MJ cultivation. Not something the cops would be too interested in. Remember, cops want leverage, therefore they want as many people involved in illegal activity as possible, so they're not going to target hydro stores.

 

On the subject of hydro stores, I've often wondered how they can sell MJ specific nutes. What is the justification for this? I was really shocked the first time I walked into a hydro store and saw all these pictures of buds on the containers.

[white_cluster]

On the subject of hydro stores, I've often wondered how they can sell MJ specific nutes. What is the justification for this? I was really shocked the first time I walked into a hydro store and saw all these pictures of buds on the containers.

 

ive never seen these kinds of bottles except on the internet, I've seen taz's pic of add-bud with a chunky bud on the front, in my local store the same product comes with a simple red and blue and black label with no pictures. Also had some confusing chatting with someone once who had canna pk in a bottle with a bud, while I have the capsicum version.

 

whats the go there?? we have local nute names like mullum madness and stuff, but no actual bud pics on bottles??

[Guest Guest]

An unrealistic set of laws set down with police discretion at the heart of them is bound to be exposed to massive corruptive influences.

 

And I still think the hydroponics retailers are getting a raw deal indeed.  Licencing premisis?  Severe penalties?  No one seems to remember that bit.  Most local hydro shops are either going to have to be veeeeeeery careful, even more so than at present, or they will just give it up.  They're making enforcement the job of the retailer!  For christs sake, how much money do you guys and gals think goes through the hydroponic industry in this country? Millions and millions of dollars worth of that business is devoted exclusively to cultivating home-grown cannabis...

 

If the law wasn't introducing harsher penalties generally for possesion and cultivation, (read the fine print and you find that if your not eligible for a CIN, you are charged with offences which are now much increased in sentencing guidelines.) and doing it's best to turn the people into police, and maybe if it wasn't trying to eliminate the hydroponics industry in the state.... then I'd support it.  I was cautiously optimistic when they said they'd be reforming.... He's made such a botched job of this and other things that I can only expect this WA gov to be the first single term government since the 30's.... Bastard doesn't have any standards, just sells himself out to either the highest bidder or the best PR result...

 

Sorry, but this really pisses me off...  WA growers are going to be worse off for this law, not better.  A judge would probably give you a fine and be done with it, even with a few plants in this state.  Now the penalties are harsher, not only for the grower but the hydroponic retailer who sells you the products.... (just had a thought, what if you go to bunnings? ) and they call it "reform" and "decriminalisation".... :angry:

Police discretion does open this up to uneven enforcement and corruption, but WA police are (on the whole) pretty damn good. I know quite a few police and they're all really honest, fair guys - they'll give you a bit of slack as often as they come down on you in my experience. We give police discretion on many, many things - it's part of their job. This legislation is encouraging them to focus on commercial cultivators and suppliers - and personally, I want them to do this, this is a good thing. Cannabis quality and prices in Perth are absolute shite and it's been this way for a long time. I abhor unregulated commercial cultivation and supply, it's the worst possible situation for the consumer and society as a whole.

 

Hydroponics retailers are not being licenced, earlier discussion on the Bill suggested this but it is not happening. They only get into trouble if they knowingly supply gear for illegal cultivation, and the main reason for this is so that the hydroponic suppliers themselves don't get into cannabis cultivation. Hydro retailers don't want to know what you're growing, especially now with this new legislation - they don't want to be held accountable, so they're not going to ask and they're going to ignore as much as they can until you've made it clear that you're going to be doing something illegal and they've got no choice but to refuse you service.

 

The only harsher penalties I've seen is a reduction in the thresholds for being considered a dealer or commercial cultivator - it's now 10 plants instead of 25. I, personally, believe this is a good thing. You and I both know that 10 plants yields an awful lot - far more than any sane person could consume over a few years. 10 plants of say 2 ounces each would last me 20 years, no chance in hell is that personal use no matter how much you smoke. If there are harsher penalties now I haven't paid much attention to them. However much I disagree with them, they're not aimed at me. Everyone should either grow their own, or buy quality controlled, labelled, personal use amounts from a licenced retailer. By supporting the black market you're keeping the price of cannabis artificially high, and you're supporting people who don't pay taxes and aren't held accountable for the quality of their product. This is bad, especially for the consumer.

 

When you say "WA growers are going to be worse off", exactly how? Commercial growers or personal use growers?

 

They specifically have not called this decrim, but it certainly is reform. The penalties on the books, for personal cultivation and possession, have been dramatically reduced. They are not pandering to anyone who makes a profit, these reforms are solely aimed at personal use.

 

If you're seriously unhappy with this legislation, do something about it. Write to your MPs and let them know why you're unhappy, in detail. Tell them which parts of the legislation are flawed and what you're prefer to see. In all likelihood, a large majority of those who supported this legislation will agree with you - but they recognise that dramatic change is not done quickly. Alcohol and tobacco have been an absolute public health disaster - we must to softly, slowly here. The model will be tweaked, but until the industry is properly regulated (and the political climate, UN treaties etc. allow this to occur) it's all going to be a variation of the same theme.

 

This legislation is primarily about the user, removing disproportionate punishment. It is still illegal, and the penalties (relatively speaking) are now on the low end of the scale. If you're still not happy, and I'm not - believe me, do something about it! It's definitly an improvement though, and in conservative Australia we're only going to get there through incremental change.

[Guest niall]

Damn guest posting, that was me there