Page 2092 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 9 September 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I think that we should put resources into educating the youth of Canberra. We should educate them in something that we all agree on - that marijuana is harmful. Why can we not look at parallels with the legalisation of alcohol and the legalisation, eventually, if we keep moving along this road of decriminalisation, of marijuana?
Mr Moore: We can.
MR STEVENSON: Mr Moore says that we can. I look forward to hearing - - -
Mr De Domenico: The Government's commitment to an education program.
MR STEVENSON: Exactly. But is the education program on alcohol really working? It is available to young people. Certainly it is against the law, if they are under age, to go onto premises. But boy, are these things hard to handle! We have the other major problem in Australia of people driving while they are under the influence - the influence of any drug. Committing no offence whatsoever, you can be stopped by police and they can check whether you have alcohol in your bloodstream. Marijuana also affects people. There have been cases where people under the influence of marijuana have decided to get out of a motor vehicle when it was travelling at a high speed. There are cases that these particular - - -
Mr Moore: That sort of research, Dennis, is pretty inadequate. That is the sort of stuff you rely on.
MR STEVENSON: Not at all.
Mr Moore: Yes, it is reported.
MR STEVENSON: Yes, and well reported. One of the problems with trying to deal with people who have been on marijuana is that it tends to have an effect on a person's track of knowledge, or memory, turning it into something like a film projector going haywire and spilling film all over the floor of a projector room. This tends to create major problems. I have experience in this area, having worked with some people who have had problems caused by that.
When we talk about imposing $40 and $100 fines, one wonders at the same time about someone who has an illegal tape recording in their pocket if the listening devices Bill goes through. That person, for having an illegally taped recording of somebody, could be fined $20,000 and receive two years' imprisonment; whereas if they had marijuana in the other pocket they might be fined $40 or $100. I will vote against the Bill because there has not been time for fair consultation in the community on this specific law.
MR LAMONT (11.58): I wish to speak only very briefly. Madam Speaker, I have listened to the debate with some interest, having taken account of the history of the question of legalisation of marijuana in the ACT for the considerable period that the debate has been around. Today the Opposition has put forward its argument against the reasonable approach which has been adopted by the Government and which I hope will be adopted by this Assembly. The Opposition's attitude has not been determined by a considered investigation of the question or consideration of the significant body of evidence that is available. It has been determined pursuant to the edicts outlined in Weekly Hansard of 12, 13 and 14 May, at pages 509 to 517. For the edification of those people in the gallery, Madam Speaker, that means the ACIL document.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .