BEATTIE'S CANNABIS PLAN CLOUDED BY CONTROVERSY

A CONTROVERSIAL Cabinet plan will allow Queenslanders to possess more than
30 times as much marijuana as permitted in some other states and still
escape criminal conviction.

Drug experts stepped up criticism of the plan yesterday, prompting Premier
Peter Beattie to ask two of his Ministers to review a 500g cut-off point
for first-time offenders.

The Cabinet proposal applied only to people who admitted to possession and
agreed to complete a rehabilitation course. Victoria and Tasmania have 50g
cut-off points for their cannabis cautionary programmes, the ACT has a 25g
limit and New South Wales will cut its limit to 15g.

South Australia allows people to grow up to three plants while the Northern
Territory allows two plants or 50g.

Western Australia has not yet set a limit.

Sydney Brain and Behaviour Centre director John Anderson said even 15g
posed problems for cracking down on drug trafficking.

"The most common deal made by young people is a 'quarter', or seven grams,"
Dr Anderson said.

"Five hundred grams equates to 70 deals or 500 days' supply. It's a
ridiculous amount."

Dr Anderson said he was concerned about the lack of help for cannabis users
as many addiction courses were ineffective and a recent study found only
10percent of cannabis users stopped after therapy.

"There are less than 10 rehabilitation programmes in New South Wales. Many
of these people who are referred for rehabilitation will have nowhere to
go," he said.

A Drug-Arm spokesman said 500g was too much and felt 50g was more appropriate.

Cannabis legalisation activist Michael Balderstone said he was surprised at
how much Cabinet was allowing, while Opposition Leader Rob Borbidge
described the Cabinet plan as "policy on the run".

Mr Beattie defended his proposal, but admitted the allowable amount could
change after the ministerial review.

In any case, Mr Beattie said, police would be given discretion to apply the
new rules to obvious first-time users meaning the allowable limit, whether
50g or 500g, was not relevant.

He said he chose the 500g limit because it was identified under laws put in
place by former premier Sir Joh Bjelke- Petersen as trafficable.