Legalising Psychedelic Drugs: An Interview with LSD Advocate Greg Kasarik
Greg Kasarik appeared in Melbourne’s Magistrates Court on January 10 this year, on a charge of being in possession of a drug of dependency. Kasarik was arrested on April 19 last year, when he was found in possession of LSD, while he was...
Raids on Medical Marijuana Producers: Making Way for Big Business?
Over the last seven weeks, police have made two high-profile raids of medicinal cannabis producers in Australia. The Ubuntu Wellness Clinic was raided in Newcastle on December 1. NSW police seized 215 plants from a hydroponic operation run by a group called...
January is ‘Divorce Month’ for Family Lawyers
The end of the year is meant to be a time to relax and unwind with family and friends. But for many, the financial pressures and unrealistic expectations of Christmas and New Year’s can take a heavy emotional toll. Add...
From Prisoner to Principal Lawyer: An Interview with Debbie Kilroy
Queensland attorney-general Yvette D’Ath announced the members of the reinstated Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council on November 10 last year. The council works to advise the state government and Court of Appeal on sentencing matters. Amongst the ten members of the council...
WA Labor Proposes “Radical” Drug Rehab Prisons
Western Australian Labor leader Mark McGowan announced on Sunday, his party’s “radical” new plan to tackle the state’s “meth crisis.” The plan includes the establishment of two dedicated drug and alcohol rehabilitation prisons. The announcement of the Methamphetamine Action Plan comes...
Sniffer Dogs: False Positives and Limits to Police Powers
One of the most controversial tools in the armoury of police when it comes to enforcing drug laws is the use of drug detection dogs. These dogs were introduced after the 2000 Sydney Olympics to catch drug suppliers, but have...
Are E-Cigarettes Legal?
Electronic cigarettes or ‘vapes’ are becoming a popular alternative to smoking, but there’s some confusion about whether they are actually legal and if so, whether they are subject to anti-smoking laws. The answer is not simple - lawmakers around the...
Police Claim Major Success in War on Drugs
“This job started with just a thread of information to the NSWPF’s Drug Squad two and a half years ago”, NSW Police Commissioner Mark Jenkins told a reporter. “That thread has helped us keep more than a tonne of illegal...
Neddy Smith: A Career in Crime
Standing at 6ft 6in, Arthur “Neddy” Smith – the infamous standover man - had a menacing aura. He was a leading underworld figure during the mid-1980s Sydney drug wars. And he drove fear into all he encountered. Today, the 72-year-old...
Santa Raids Drug Den
We all know Santa’s a good guy, but feelings are mixed about a police officer who dressed up in a Santa suit to conduct a drug raid in the Peruvian capital of Lima. The officer - whose identity has not...
