Carr Hails Cannabis Treatment Centre

[boulder]

Eighty-five per cent of participants at NSW's first cannabis treatment clinic have not used marijuana since the centre opened three months ago, the state government said.

 

NSW Premier Bob Carr told state parliament an additional clinic was due to open on the central coast by September, with plans for further clinics in southern Sydney and the state's central west.

 

NSW's first cannabis treatment clinic was set up in Parramatta in December last year under the government's $230 million four year Plan of Action on drugs.

 

"The idea that cannabis is a benign drug is being steadily whittled away by an accumulation of medical evidence," Mr Carr told parliament.

 

At the Parramatta clinic, 36 people under the age of 25 have been referred to the program, with a further 40 older participants involved.

 

"The average participant is male, has been using cannabis for 12 years and smoked 20 cannabis cigarettes a day prior to entering the program," Mr Carr said.

 

"So far 85 per cent of participants have achieved abstinence and the remainder have significantly reduced their cannabis consumption."

 

According to the 1997 National Survey of Health and Well Being, more than two per cent of Australian adults were cannabis dependent, Mr Carr told parliament.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/National/story_29157.asp

[Brash]

I will post a comment on this article at 'Medicinal Cannabis' for further discussion.

[free choice]

HUH ?... :mellow: Cannabis isn't addictive ... !

what a hypocritical bunch of useless nonsense ..

 

Hey My Carr..... have toke on a bong ya stupid moron ..

then think twice about your ridiculous crusade ...

 

better still .. focus your time money ( our money ) energy & resources on helping the hard drug users find their lives again .. or is that too much good common sense.... don't these nit wits read the facts...

Edited March 14, 2004 by free choice

[white_cluster]

If someone wants to quit cannabis they have the right to help. just cos dope has no strong physical reactions. These people as far as I know weren't forced into the clinic. As most of the people caight commiting punishable drug offences arent big smokers anyways. In England there is a treatment centre for people with sms/text messaging addiction.

 

As for the cost to taxpayers, if your a cannabis addict you are more than likely a large drain on tax-payers money, maybe they will become more productive members of society, most of the cost of their rehabilitation is done by taking 70% or more of their payments from centrelink each week. Your taxes will be paying the staff and shit really, not for the patients stay.

 

better still .. focus your time money ( our money ) energy & resources on helping the hard drug users find their lives again .. or is that too much good common sense.... don't these nit wits read the facts...

 

Uhhm, go check your hospital, most large hospitals have a fucking heroin treatment centre as far as I'm fucking aware, fucking 100's of them, compared to one fucking marijuana one. Dont you read the facts. fact is getting people off heroin dont work as well, they seem to be having pretty good luck helping marijuana users.

 

I had a schizophrenic friend, caught with 2 grams of cannabis and convinced by the cops and his mum to go to richmond clinic, richmond clinic for fucking dope smoking, this guy needed to get off the dope more than anything, every time he smoked he thought everyone started picking on him and calling him names and threatening him, had big hallucinations, But they lumped him in with fucking heroin users, sick for drugs, lotta help thats gonna do, Hes lucky he made it out without gaining a worse addiction, but you know what he did with the money they saved for him, bought a coupla ounces and some tubs of icecream and started smoking again. I've known alot of dope smoking schizophrenics in my time, and alot of general fuck ups, alot of people who could be something but are complete fucking losers.

 

Marijuana Addiction, Obesity, Anorexia, sex addiction, masochism, all mental disorders, all can be very damaging to peoples lives.These people dont deserve the best help they can get to get over these addictions??

 

I have seen very little propaganda on the news lately about the "evil" addictive drug marijuana, The cannabis clinic is entirely realistic, its time for you to get out of your 2 cone a weekend world and realise anyone can become addicted to anything. What about alcoholics, we should stop AA, waste of taxpayers money....... . And the anti-tobacco advertising, that money could be building new roads.. geez.

 

Thanks Mr Carr, its great people have the oppotunity for treatment without being stuck in with junkies where their problems will seem trivial and pathetic.