Defending Drug Charges: Putting the Prosecution to Proof and Raising Available Defences
If you have been charged with a drug offence, it is vital to be aware that each of these offences contains several ‘essential elements’ (or ingredients) which the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt – the prosecution will fail if...
Shoebridge’s National Legalise Cannabis Bill Covers All Grassroots Wants and Concerns
After Australia legalised medicinal cannabis nationwide in October 2016, people who use the plant recreationally have been hesitant of political initiatives to legalise it, even though the lawful use of the fairly innocuous herb is the outcome they desire. And that’s with...
Inside Bangkok’s Legal Cannabis Café
Bangkok’s backpacker mecca Khao San Road has gone through a lot of changes over recent decades. The slick neon-lit bars lining much of the street are a far cry from the more down-home establishments of the past. But the most...
Thailand Legalises Cannabis, Handing Out One Million Plants to Citizens
On Thursday, 9 June 2022, Thailand legalised both cannabis and hemp nationwide, with the ability for unlimited homegrow, as well as establishing both boutique and larger businesses specialising in cannabis products or the manufacturing of goods containing the substance. The only...
Legislating Cannabis Legalisation: An Interview With Legalise Cannabis Candidate Gail Hester
When US Federal Bureau of Narcotics commissioner Harry Anslinger commenced his cannabis demonisation program in the 1930s, it was one of the most widely used medicines in Australia, with the first federal health director general having previously advised against any need...
The Offence of Participation in a Criminal Group in New South Wales
30-year old Dylan Farrell, who once played for the St George Illawarra Dragon and South Sydney Rabbitohs, has been arrested in Nowra, south-east New South Wales. Police say he was arrested at around 8.30am on Thursday, 8 July 2021 when...
What are the Penalties for Prohibited Drug Offences in New South Wales?
The main piece of legislation in New South Wales which facilitates the prohibition of drugs is the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (‘the Act’). The main criminal offences contained in the Act are divided into two parts: Summary offences...
Lawyers Call For Drug Law Reform: An Interview With ALA’s Greg Barns
“The war on drugs has failed” is a common catchphrase these days. Ever-increasing numbers within the community are coming to realise that the great edifice of heavily enforced drug prohibition is more destructive on a societal and individual level than...
Legalising Cannabis Would Assist Australia Out of Its Deep Recession
Australia is going through its greatest economic recession since the Great Depression. The Australian Bureau of Statistics released figures in early September that showed over the 12 months to June the economy had contracted by 6.3 percent. The downturn was...
The Offence of Cultivating a Prohibited Plant in New South Wales
NSW Police have seized more than 13,000 cannabis plants worth an estimated $40 million, in what they describe as one of the largest cannabis busts in Australia’s history. Fourteen men have been charged with a range of drug and criminal...
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