Pubdate: Sun, 14 Nov 2004
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News
Contact:  http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283
Author: Greg McLean
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

MARIJUANA COMES WITH THE TERRITORY

Pot, grass, gunja, hooch, hydro, bush buds _ whichever way you put it, 
marijuana comes with the Territory.

Figures reveal Territorians are by far the biggest consumers of pot in the 
country. More than 40 per cent of NT males aged 14 to 24 are regular pot 
smokers.

This compares with 34.5 per cent of young males from the ACT and 32.6 per 
cent of South Australians in the same category, where it is legal to grow 
small quantities for personal use.

NT men aged 25 to 39 are also the biggest users for their age group in the 
country (34.3 per cent), with more than a quarter of all male Territorians 
regular users.

The state with the second-highest male pot smokers is WA (20.6 per cent).

Young female Territorians are also near the top of the list for regular 
marijuana consumption at 32.6 per cent, just behind the ACT and SA. 
Alarmingly, that figure increases for NT women aged 25 to 39 (33 per cent), 
bucking the national trend which shows up to half of women stop smoking pot 
by the time they reach 25.

Overall just under a quarter of Territorians are classified as regular 
users of cannabis, double the national average and 7 per cent more than 
West Australians per capita, who rank second.

The statistics are compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Strategies to address the high rate of cannabis use in the NT are based 
around diversion programs that enable first-time drug offenders in 
possession of a non-traffickable quantity of marijuana to be diverted for 
treatment.

But while the community consensus is that pot smokers in the NT are here to 
stay, police and government authorities agree with health professionals 
that decriminalising marijuana possession is not the answer.

Marijuana is known to cause significant mental and physical impairment in 
people who are susceptible to it and the cost to the community in terms of 
associated medical treatments and financial loss is impossible to quantify.

Police and the Martin Government have clamped down on marijuana dealers and 
suppliers with a "tough on drugs" strategy aimed at getting marijuana off 
the streets and fining peddlers.

But the fact remains there is a huge demand for marijuana for personal 
consumption and there is little authorities can do to eradicate the drug 
from the psyche of a significant proportion of Territorians.
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