NEW cannabis laws which come into effect tomorrow will increase the risk of physical and mental health problems for young people, Opposition Leader Colin Barnett claims. Mr Barnett said the changes - making the possession of up to 30g of the drug and the cultivation of up to two plants punishable by fine or an education session - sent the worst possible message to the community that some cannabis was OK. "There is clear scientific evidence that cannabis use is linked with depression and anxiety in youths and an increased risk of psychotic disorders such as paranoia, manic depression and schizophrenia," he said. [continues 294 words]
THE Gallop Government's climb down on cannabis reform is a sign of weakness and indecision, one of the key participants's in the community drug summit says. The Government is now considering a cap on the "occasions" a user is caught with cannabis. A user caught twice in three years would be charged and therefore have a criminal record. Under the Government's original plan to decriminalise cannabis use, someone using up to 30g and in possession of two plants would only be fined, with no criminal conviction recorded. [continues 400 words]
DELEGATES at the community drug summit were misled on the issue of cannabis-related deaths, the Opposition claims. A statistical sheet handed out to delegates showed no deaths from cannabis in Australia between 1985 and 1999. The Opposition says this is wrong and has given The Sunday Times Australian Bureau of Statistics figures that show there were 183 cannabis-related deaths between 1997-2001, including 60 in WA. The Opposition is enlisting the help of parents and grandparents in an attempt to stop the Government's plan to decriminalise the cultivation of two marijuana plants and the use of up to 30g of cannabis. [continues 301 words]
The State Government's plan to decriminalise minor cannabis use follows a similar experiment in Britain that has since been branded a failure. In Britain, the Blair Government allowed cannabis users in a working-class area of London's Lambeth to escape the full sanction of the law. After a year, the experiment was widely condemned as having a shocking effect on vulnerable people, particulary children. Opposition Leader Colin Barnet this week quoted from an article in London's Evening Standard to underscore his opposition to the Government's legislation. [continues 109 words]
