Australian Atheists Forum

source

Senior police admitted that their operations could be partly to blame for recent gang-related violence, telling the media that drug busts that do not result in arrests can lead to criminals seeking retribution. Then, an unnamed police source told this newspaper late last week: “These gangsters will be on Centrelink in six months if you legalised drugs”.

In stark contrast, senior police bureaucrats, media and politicians have instead all been saying the same thing: that Sydney has a drug problem and getting tougher is the answer, despite the evidence it doesn’t work.

The enforcement dollars would go a long way toward harm minimalisation, and the cash taken out of the criminal economy might just have the Centrelink effect.

Time to try? Could start with the marijuana and see what that does to the trade, although arguably a whole-of-business approach would be more effective.

It says a lot about our conservatism that we still haven't legalised weed. We have by far the worst laws in the English speaking world and worse than most of western Europe and many other nations. It's pretty embarrassing really. Such is the stranglehold of Rupert and Nine media and kerry fucking stokes that despite having directly comparable case studies that show that the sky has not actually fallen down after legalising green, we nevertheless still can't seem to have any kind of formal discussion on the process.

And yes, i'd be in favor of full Portugal, decriminalise it all. Of course that would give our police more time to harass refugees, first nations people and women...so that wouldn't be good. So perhaps along with decriminalisation we can defund the cops.

Just my $0.02 for what I think should happen here.

Marijuana should be like the ACT, you can grow two plants at home but can't sell it. The sale of seeds/seedlings obviously would have to be legal though.. (stops it turning out like the tobacco or alcohol industries).

Heroin should be provided under medicare from GPs/Chemists/Injecting-rooms.. Quality controlled and free of charge (or near enough) to completely end the underground trade. Cocaine and MDMA probably much the same as Heroin.

Do this and you control quality issues which cause much of the harm, dispensers have the ability to suggest diversion when it is becoming an issue and users who feel it is getting unhealthy for them do not fear being punished for seeking help. Not to mention the wholesale decimation of organized crime built around the sale and distribution of prohibited substances.

But I would not be surprised if much of Australia is among the last regions in the world (maybe along with theocracies) to grow up and realise the war on drugs has only made things worse.

WA Police to trial carrying Naloxone (Narcan).

(Thinks back about twenty years to a time I had to take down the badge numbers of two QLD cops who were about to bugger off and let an extremely pinned chappie to probable death, before they acted.)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-14/ ... /102726548

Before we can even start to think of a rational drug law reform we need to sort out the driving issue.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... erts-claim

What this ruling means is that the presence of any illegal substance in a roadside drug test is grounds for prosecution on driving charges, even though it is well understood that many drugs leave a biological trace weeks after usage, when zero impairment is evident. This includes those using cannabis medicinally, with a prescription. It is fucking ridiculous.

Victoria is currently attempting to change this and switch to a 'sobriety' test for those with a positive cannabis reading. That would be a positive step forward (notwithstanding the somewhat alarming notion that a cop will be assessing a person's 'sobriety.' I fear the first question regarding 'sobriety' that most cops will seek to discover will be what skin color are you, and do you have a penis?) In other words, white men will do remarkably well in sobriety tests. Still, gotta start somewhere.

There's no drug like power, and I think that Sunak chap is hooked.

Scotland has the highest drugs death rate in Europe, with narcotics claiming more than 100 lives on average every month.

The Scottish government is proposing to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use to "help and support people rather than criminalise and stigmatise them".

But the UK government, which controls drugs policy, has rejected the plan as dangerous and says it has no intention of giving the Scottish Parliament the power to enact the new policy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-66570190

....Staying in the Labor partyroom, the government has resolved to not support Greens senator David Shoebridge’s bill to legalise cannabis in Australia.

A partyroom spokesperson said they wouldn’t back the bill, which would have allowed recreational use and a commercial industry nationwide.

Guardian news feed.

Of course they won't. 'The ALP, less worse than some' ought to be their next campaign slogan because that's about the extent of it.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... rsonal-use

Good for NSW

pipbarber wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 7:43 am https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... rsonal-use

Good for NSW

Being introduced by a minor party though, that happened in Vic too and the majors just opposed it, fingers crossed for NSW.

In Vic when those legalise cannabis people got in the senate Dan said "no chance" to them, he wouldn't even agree to discuss the topic. Interestingly now he is gone Labour is softening a little to the idea of reform.

“In relation to this bill that proposes to legalise the adult personal use of cannabis beyond that required for medicinal reasons, we are unable to support it in its current form at this time,” Stitt said.

“However, the government is amenable to ongoing discussions with the Legalise Cannabis Victoria party on this topic and a process that will take the advice of experts and engage with the community. And I’m looking forward to continuing those important discussions.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/vict ... 5enl4.html

The other problem is driving laws, even someone on a medical cannabis prescription can still be charged with drug driving the next day (or days later) if any trace is found on their ridiculously sensitive tests which has nothing to do with impairment.