OUTCRY SPURS RETHINK ON DRUG LIMITS

Premier Peter Beattie has changed his controversial plan to show
leniency to people caught with up to 500g of marijuana.

Mr Beattie said last night he would slash the mercy limit to 50g after
criticism from drug experts that 500g 10 times the caution limit in
other states was excessive.

"I have listened to people," Mr Beattie said.

"If we think we've got something wrong, we fix it.

"I'm not claiming to be the font of all wisdom. I don't stand on my
pride."

Mr Beattie announced his 500g plan at the weekend.

He said that anyone caught with less than 500g of marijuana might
escape conviction if they admitted their guilt in a police interview
and agreed to undergo anti-drug counselling.

The provision would not apply if police believed the person was
dealing in the drug or if they also were charged with other offences,
such as property offences.

The plan drew criticism through the week from drug experts who pointed
out that other states with caution systems applied maximum mercy
limits of 50g.

On Tuesday, Sydney Brain and Behaviour Centre director John Anderson
said 500g was enough to last a marijuana user 500 days.

And on Monday, Australian National Council on Drugs head Brian Watters
said he thought the 500g figure was a misprint.

Last night Mr Beattie said he had never used marijuana and had no idea
about its weight-to-volume ratio.

"I just thought about a pound of butter," Mr Beattie
said.

After questions were raised, he had asked two of his Ministers to seek
further advice.

They had suggested a change to a 50g limit.

"This amount of cannabis is equivalent to one standard pack of
roll-your-own tobacco," Mr Beattie said.

Mr Beattie said police would have discretion about application of the
mercy provision and that, in a sense, the amount was not relevant.

But he said he did not want public debate about the amount to draw
attention away from "a great initiative to end the drug cycle".

He said his plan was aimed at preventing young people ruining their
lives by dabbling with the drug.

"They'll only get one chance," he said.

Mr Beattie said the key signal he wanted to send the community on the
issue was that his Government wanted people to stop using drugs.

Opposition Leader Rob Borbidge said he was happy to hear of Mr
Beattie's change of heart.

"It demonstrates that this has been another case of policy on the
run," Mr Borbidge said.

"You have to wonder about the quality of the scientific advice upon
which he based his decision."

"If you are going to change drug laws you should do your homework
before you turn it into a media stunt," Mr Borbidge said.

Mr Borbidge said the Coalition opposed any liberalisation of drug
laws.

"I worry about the message it sends out to young people who are under
immense peer pressure," Mr Borbidge said.

"It's telling them that you won't really get into trouble if you use
it."

He said governments had an obligation to set standards for the
community and that there was ample scientific evidence that marijuana
was a dangerous drug.