Page 3698 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 15 October 1991
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number of years in the ACT and has provided for fines of $100 for the growing of five plants, or for the possession of 25 grams of marijuana for personal use. Now, 25 grams - so that you understand it - is, in tobacco terms, about half a pouch of Drum. A tobacco pouch holds 50 grams. So, for people who do not tend to think in terms of grams, that is the level that we have used.
Mr Speaker and members of the Assembly, thank you for the opportunity to work on this committee and to deal with what is a difficult, though fascinating, area. I hope that our fourth report, our final report, on AIDS, will also assist in taking the appropriate next step in combating AIDS and in giving us an understanding and tolerance of those people who are involved, for whatever reason, in the use of illegal drugs.
MRS NOLAN (8.15): Mr Speaker, this committee - it has been going for some time - has been looking into what I consider to be a very difficult area but, as Mr Moore has said, a very fascinating one, especially for someone like me. At the outset of this select committee I was unfamiliar with HIV, illegal drugs and prostitution. I also would like to thank the other members of the committee, and in particular the committee secretary, Ron Owens.
Mr Speaker, I was unable to agree with the committee in regard to one section of the report. In fact, in the back of the report I have placed a short dissenting report. I wholeheartedly endorse the comments made by Mr Moore in relation to drug profiteers. In relation to the recommendations in the committee's report which refer to specific services for young people and women with drug related problems, I believe that that is an area that certainly needed to be addressed. I think the committee report has done that very well, and I wholeheartedly endorse those particular comments.
However, I would have preferred to see the committee report go along the lines of the South Australian legislation with reference to marijuana for personal use. I would have liked to see the criminal stigma taken out of that particular area, but I do not endorse either legalising or decriminalising marijuana for personal use.
I would like to read my few comments into the record. I think that they are fairly important and that they sum up the situation very well. Members can read in detail the South Australian legislation and what that does. It is in terms of an on-the-spot fine system, which I think would have been more appropriate here in the ACT. I must say that I am a great supporter of seeing legislation around Australia become very similar rather than a situation where each of the States goes off and has something that is quite different.
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