BRACKS STILL WANTS TO DECRIMINALISE MARIJUANA

MELBOURNE - Victorian Premier Steve Bracks today reaffirmed his desire to
decriminalise possession of small amounts of marijuana in his first four
years in office.

Bracks tangled with John Howard over his plan last week when the prime
minister attacked it for sending the wrong message and running counter to
society's growing distaste for cigarette smoking.

Bracks described that criticism as glib today and said decriminalisation
was a low priority for the government.

"It is something we are committed to, but if there is further evidence or
advice which comes in I'll be certainly taking that into account," Bracks
said on radio 3AW.

Bracks said he would like to be a drugs prohibitionist but had come to
realise the issue should be treated as a medical one.