Medicinal Cannabis for the Elderly: An Interview with Canna Nanna Karen Burge
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Special Access Scheme (SAS) is a formal arrangement that allows patients to import unapproved therapeutic goods into the country. There are two main pathways to access imported medicines via this scheme: category A and category B....
Marriage Equality: An Interview with Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby
At 2.15 pm on Thursday, the High Court of Australia ruled against the challenge to the voluntary and non-binding marriage equality postal vote. As he sat in parliament, Malcolm Turnbull was told of the decision via text, which is a...
It’s Time for an Australian Bill of Rights: An Interview with Senator Nick McKim
Gillian Triggs issued a stern warning when she finished her term as Australia’s Rights Commissioner earlier this year. Reflecting on her five years at the helm of the Australian Human Rights Commission, she lamented that “we are regressing on almost...
Drug Law Reform: An Interview with Former NSW DPP Nicholas Cowdery
On 2 June 2011, the Global Commission on Drug Policy declared, “The global war on drugs has failed.” In its report, the commission found that prohibition has led to increased drug consumption, the growth of powerful crime networks and contributed...
Closing the Gap: An Interview with Ngalla Maya Founder Mervyn Eades
A non-profit mentoring program for young people leaving prison in WA is gaining national attention. Situated in the Perth suburb of Belmont, the Ngalla Maya program is in its third year of operation. And due to its success, it’s recently been granted...
Redefining Medical Cannabis: An Interview with This Week in Weed TV’s Loren Paul Wiener
Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale moved a disallowance motion through the federal Senate on June 13 this year, which allowed terminally ill patients to import up to three months’ worth of medical marijuana products from overseas. The motion reversed...
Digital Surveillance: An Interview with the Cyberspace Law and Policy Community’s David Vaile
Big data is watching you. And you might want to get used to it, because its reach is getting wider. These days, it’s common knowledge that governments, security agencies and even social media companies are monitoring people’s behaviour on the...
Former Police For Cannabis Legalisation: An Interview with Weeded Warrior’s Damon Adams
Growing concerns over the opium trade were central to the League of Nations establishing the 1925 Geneva Convention, which imposed global restrictions on the production and use of opium and coca. Cannabis was added to the agenda at the last...
Ending Execution: An Interview with Reprieve Australia’s Julian McMahon
In the early hours of the morning on April 29 2015, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were executed by firing squad by Indonesian authorities. The two men were part of the Bali Nine: a group of Australians convicted of drug...
Former Police Support Harm Reduction: An Interview with LEAHN’s Greg Denham
The 2017 National Drug Strategy was released last month. It provides a framework for preventing and reducing the harms associated with substance use. Since its first iteration in 1985, harm minimisation has formed the basis of Australia’s official policy. Harm minimisation is...
