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Drug Offences

Can NSW Police Exclude Patrons Based on a Positive Drug Indication Alone?

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There is an enormous amount of evidence to suggest that positive indications by drug detection dogs are not a reliable indicator of the presence of drugs. Police figures suggest that between two-thirds and eighty percent of positive indications are ‘false’...
Police at festival

Premier Wants Sniffer Dogs in Schools

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The present heavy-handed approach to illicit drug use has been widely been discredited by former police commissioners, politicians and health professionals. Instead of curbing the use of the illegal drugs, it’s accepted it increases the harms associated with substance use. However,...
Drug detection dog

Cannabis Gummy Bears Available in Australia

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Cannabis edibles are making their way onto the Australian drug scene, and they make it easier for users to avoid detection as they can be chewed at any time, anywhere. Edible cannabis-derived gummies which may contain both THC or CBD...
Cannabis edibles are making their way onto the Australian drug scene, and they make it easier for users to avoid detection as they can be chewed at any time, anywhere. Edible cannabis-derived gummies which may contain both THC or CBD oil in them, look like gummy bear lollies or soft chewy multivitamins. And because of the way they look, there are concerns the chewables could be mistaken by children as harmless sweets. In the US, cannabis edibles are widely available where the sale and possession of marijuana is legal. They’re described as the ‘drug you can do at work’ because they’re less obvious to consume than traditional cannabis, and the THC component offers a mellow long-term high that is said to help people feel less stressed and anxious. Party scene and workplaces The edibles have hit the party scene and made their way into workplaces in Sydney, and some gummies contain 25mg of CBD – a drug said to curb nervousness and stress, promote sleep and reduce muscular inflammation and pain, which is why they are also used among cancer patients and to treat other conditions. In Australia, imported medicinal cannabis products can be used if prescribed by a doctor. However, patients needing access to medicinal cannabis are finding that bureaucratic delays and high costs are often making access to the drug very difficult. NSW Police say they are aware of a variety of cannabis edibles, but also warn that they are illegal in New South Wales. Stoned workers Conservative commentators in US states where recreational cannabis is legal have raised concerns about workers being high during working hours, given the ease by which cannabis edibles can pass as ordinary snacks. For some occupations there is, and always will be, a zero-tolerance for alcohol and drugs. However for others, the question remains exactly how employers will test for, and police drug affected workers, particularly when THC stays in the body for so long after it has been taken. US authorities are also working through regulations that would protect people from accidental ingestion. There are also unanswered questions around how the digested product affects impairment differently from marijuana when it is smoked in a pipe or as a joint. Experts say that ironing out the full implications of legalising marijuana in all its forms is likely to take about a decade, and that initially, policy shortcomings will be inevitable – it’s likely that many issues that arise will end up being tested by the courts. Canada is set to finalise its legal framework for legalising marijuana later this year. The country is optimistic about following in the footsteps of US states which have reaped enormous economic benefits from legalisation, which reducing the harms associated with prohibition. In Australia As more and more jurisdictions around the world legalise the recreational use of cannabis, leaders of the major political parties in Australia remain steadfast in their opposition to the move. However, Greens Leader Richard Di Natale announced last month that his party will formally adopt a policy of legalisation nationwide. The Greens’ propose to regulate and tax cannabis with a system that operates in much the same way as the alcohol and tobacco industries. The Greens say that a legalised recreational cannabis market would undermine organised crime groups that benefit from prohibition, as well as alleviate the burden it places on the criminal justice system.

Church of Ubuntu Secretary Challenges Suppression Charges

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This Saturday marks a year since a boy who suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy was taken from the care of his parents. On May 19 last year, NSW police and Family and Community Services (FACS) removed the boy from...
Paul Burton

The Rights of People Who Use Drugs: An Interview With INPUD’s Judy Chang

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The war on drugs has failed. This is a reality that’s increasingly being acknowledged around the globe, as communities start to realise that the outcomes produced by this intensification of drug law enforcement have been overwhelmingly destructive. The close to...
Judy Chang

Australia’s First Sanctioned Pill Testing Trial Is Just the Beginning

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The resounding success of Australia’s first government-sanctioned pill testing trial at the Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra last Sunday drew a line in the sand of this nation’s harm reduction landscape. Before it took place, the voices of those...
Group of friends at a festival

Just Legalise It: An Interview with Australian Greens Leader Richard Di Natale

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A large number of Australians breathed a collective sigh of relief on April 16, as Greens leader Richard Di Natale announced that his party is proposing that recreational cannabis use be legalised nationally. Drug law reformists and harm reduction experts have...
richard dinatale

Government Promises to Finally Make Medicinal Cannabis Accessible

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At a Council of Australian Governments health council meeting last Friday, all state and territory health ministers signed onto a national scheme to streamline patient access to medicinal cannabis products. Federal health minister Greg Hunt said prescribing cannabis medicine will be left...
Cannabis leaves

Greens Push to Legalise Cannabis

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The Greens have highlight the fact that drug prohibition has proven to be a “dismal failure” and are pushing to legalise marijuana across Australia. It is the first party with seats in parliament to call for the legalisation of recreational...
Richard Di Natale

Successful Drug Regulation: An Interview with Dr Julian Buchanan

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The call for drug law reform is getting stronger, both globally and domestically. There is a growing acknowledgement amongst communities and former holders of positions of authority that the century-old drug prohibition model has failed. The 2011 Global Commission on Drug...
Dr Julian Buchanan
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