The amendments proposed by the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Regulation of Personal Adult Use of Cannabis) Bill 2023 is a recipe for disaster disguised as promoting Human Rights.
Australia is a signatory to the United Nations Article 61 Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs and has an obligation to comply with that treaty. Human Rights are not an excuse for allowing any conduct that unreasonably harms anyone. That is why acts of violence and many other behaviours are prohibited by law. No society can exist in a state of anarchy.
The scientific evidence that cannabis use is harmful to people is irrefutable. A recent conversation with a person who has lived among habitual users of cannabis brought the following response, “They lose their social skills, become apathetic, their judgement is impaired, they find it difficult to concentrate and complete even simple tasks, they often are depressed, their memory is affected, and they are uninterested in anything but their next “fix”.
This lived experience is a graphic warning about the detrimental effects of cannabis use.
Authorising any household to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use by people over eighteen years of age and expecting no adverse outcome for younger people is naivety bordering on lunacy. Where households have children under eighteen, it is certain that too many will be tempted to try what they see adults freely using. Escalation of young people using cannabis is a certainty. To deny this is stupidity.
Time, effort and money would be better spent on education programs, particularly for young people, to inform of the dangers of using cannabis and other illicit drugs.
Educating from an early age is a prerequisite to a lasting diminution in the use of illicit drugs that have become such a scourge on society. Public campaigns against drink driving and smoking tobacco have had real success.
The free use of cannabis will be reflected in the Road Toll and the proponents of this Bill will have blood on their hands.
This Bill must fail.
Truly a one sided and delusional article and argument. Over 80% of medicines prior to 1920 were cannabis derived. Banned for the sole purpose to promulgate Dupont’s nylon and Rockefeller’s petrochemical medicines.
To argue that cannabis is harmful is beyond ridiculous and detrimental to a free society. No record of any direct mortality in the history of cannabis use. Yet can find reports daily od mortality rates from alcohol and pharmaceuticals.
The agenda narrative for 90 years against cannabis use by synthetic alternative industries is clear in the over misrepresented diatribe seen in above argument. The brainwashing and bias is evident and clear to see when quoting one questionable ‘eye witness ‘ source to base their negative claims on. Would expect thousands of clinical trials and expert reports but obviously that requires fairness and intelligence.
Truthfulness benevolence forbearance ♥️ 💛 🖤
Very true Sean. The vast majority of crime associated with cannabis is because it is illegal not because cannabis users commit violent crimes. I have never been in a fight with somebody who solely uses cannabis. I firmly believe that cannabis induced psychosis is a result of the users predisposition to psychosis not their cannabis use. I have been observing & studying cannabis use for 40 years & the vast majority of negativity is just based on untruths. It’s a gateway drug for one- I have known reformed heroin users who never even tried cannabis until they were already hooked on heroin. Pharmaceuticals kill & injure millions of people world wide every year, but they are pedaled like smarties. The number of people who have died of a cannabis overdose world wide in all of history is zero. The old retired cops that run this site need to concentrate on something else but perhaps their judgement is impaired and they find it difficult to concentrate on other more important matters.
Your article is rubbish!
Pharmaceutical companies killing by the millions!
Factcheckers manipulating the truth you should be ashamed with that dribble.
You might want to update yourself with the massive harm big pharma has caused and the clinical evidence amassed on cannabis. Perhaps old cops amass a lot of experience and wisdom to all the ageists who have posted. Meantime a song for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOyk5qnamjc
Singer Elton John recently said legalizing marijuana in parts of the United States was misguided because it leads to the use of harder drugs. The 77-year-old EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) award winner expressed his thoughts during an interview with TIME magazine after being named the “2024 Icon of the Year.” John said he didn’t think cannabis should be legalized.
“I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs,” John told the outlet. “And when you’re stoned — and I’ve been stoned — you don’t think normally. Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
MORE: https://bit.ly/4geJYxk
The pattern of all things destructive to the West rolls on, meanwhile Commander Jerome Toot Toot is shifted on his massive salary to various positions presumably to train senior bureaucrats in implementation of the agenda. We have never had such a bloated bureaucracy before and they seem to excel in only providing the most minimal service.
I think there needs to be a rational debate about legalising Cannabis but this isn’t it. We can’t continue to have this stigma around this substance which is purely negative when there is incredible health implications also. I’m not a cannabis user however I have lived with many who are habitual users and whilst I understand the effects it may have on individuals with daily use, I believe the health benefits far outweigh the negatives surrounding those who are either existing or will becomes daily users of cannabis. To continue to have cannabis outlawed in our state forces many individuals to either seek it out illegally or to suffer (often in extreme pain) because of this legislation however those who are habitual smokers are undeterred by these laws as the punishments for cannabis possession is marginal at best.
My view is that cannabis should be legalised, in the same capacity that alcohol is. Allow people to grow a small number of crops, (1-2) at a time to guarantee personal use and we increase the punishments for those who do use these substances and commit crimes.
Science, fact checking or ‘anecdata’? The new ‘science’ of personal, highly subjective and scientifically untested testimony is now the ‘bench mark’ for cannabis scrutiny. Hmmm?
Whilst attempting to use the strawman of pharmaceutical failings in some areas may be great social media fodder for the uniformed, the real science the Billions of dollars and tens of thousands of peer reviewed (not paid for by the cannabis lobby) journal articles tell a very, very different story.
Ah, but this is the ‘post-truth’ culture, and we never, ever let facts get in the way of a good story. For Just a tiny snapshot of the evidence… https://www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au/index.php/resources/the-conundrum-continues and https://www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au/index.php/resources/cannabis-as-medicine
I believe it should be legalized. Not one recorded death from the use of cannabis. Road users can be tested. Far more deaths occur as result of alcohol and by far the most deaths attributed to drug use relates to prescribed medication. Prohibition only causes more harm. If you apply the “logic” alcohol, tobacco, fast food, particular sports should be banned as they cause more injury, harm and death.