ACT Chief Minister Barr on Monday replied to the letter from federal Health Minister Hunt, saying the government did not dispute that cannabis could have adverse health effects, but that harm minimisation principles had informed the reform. “It is the government’s view however that the outright prohibition of cannabis is of limited, and often negative, effect when seeking to reduce…

Greens MP and Drug Law Reform and Harm Reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann says she is launching a new campaign for drug law reform in NSW. The campaign has four demands: allowing pill testing services at mobile and fixed sites; regulating and taxing cannabis; decriminalising the personal use/possession of all drugs, and; replacing the current Roadside Drug Testing Scheme to testing…

“Pill Testing Australia, that conducted the trial, has released data in relation to the April 2019 festival. However, the independent evaluation by the Australian National University is not due until the end of this year. “The Queensland Government is awaiting the outcomes of this independent evaluation to inform any further policy decisions in relation to pill testing.” […]

Bonney MP Sam O’Connor in a Question on Notice asked Health Minister Dr Steven Miles what current investigations the government was undertaking into pill testing and had it considered trialling the systems at music festivals and the end of Year 12 celebrations in Surfers Paradise. The rookie Coast MP has targeted Labor on drug testing after speaking with teens at…

People need time to think about it. Despite the breakthroughs, the politics of this is still fiercely difficult. But, on the other hand, let’s remember what’s important about this: it’s human life, the sacredness of human life and also the difficulty that young people have in the world today. Drug reform makes a material difference to young people – it’s…

As the Coalition seeks the support of the Senate to drug test 5,000 people on Newstart and Youth Allowance in three trial sites, health and drug treatment experts lashed the proposal at a hearing in Canberra on Wednesday, arguing the government was proceeding in the face of all available evidence. “The organisations are unanimous in their opposition to this drug-testing…

Is regulating ecstasy the next logical step after pill testing and decriminalisation? Alex Wodak thinks it is. Dr Wodak, who is president of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, has been advocating for drug law reform for decades. In collaboration with Gino Vumbaca and Kate Dolan, Dr Wodak introduced needle syringe programs in Australia in 1986 to stem the spread…

Former AFP commissioner Mick Palmer is renowned for asserting that Australia can’t arrest its way out of the drug problem. And he’s not the only ex-top brass turned drug law reformist. There’s once NSW police commissioner Ken Moroney, as well as ex-Tasmania police commissioner Jack Johnston. And now, former NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione has joined their ranks. […]

Former NT Police Commissioner Mick Palmer AO has welcomed the “courageous decision” by the ACT parliament to pass a bill legalising cannabis possession for personal use. Mr Palmer, who also served as Australian Federal Police Commissioner until 2001, said the laws would “put control into a completely uncontrolled environment”. “It’s a decision that will improve safety for young Australians who…