MARIJUANA USERS SENT TO DRUG EDUCATION CLASSES

THREE marijuana users will attend a drug education session instead of court
this month because of a trial cautioning system being used in the Mirrabooka
policing district.

Sept Fred Zagami said the system started on October 1 and aimed to reduce
the frequency of first-time offenders going before the courts.

The first warning was handed out on October 7 to a 49-year-old man at his
Westminster home. Supt Zagami said the man had 14g of cannabis.

The other two warnings were issued on October 12 in separate incidents.

A 19-year-old man was caught with O.4g in a Maylands food outlet and a
21-year-old woman was found with 1.4g at her Embleton house.

Lawyers had claimed the trial, which is also running in the Bunbury police
district, would be a nightmare for WA courts because people outside the two
districts could get a conviction for a criminal offence while others caught
in a different suburb walked away free.

The three offenders caught so far were bound to attend a drug education
session in Toad Hill, Balga, Perth, Morley or Bunbury within two weeks of
their caution being served.

Supt. Zagami said the sessions concentrated on the harmful effects of taking
cannabis and other drugs.

The State Government planned to assess the trial after a year and introduce
laws for the whole of WA if the system was deemed worthy.

The criteria for being issued with a caution included being an adult, that
there be no other offence involved and that the person be caught carrying
less than 50g.

The Mirrabooka police district stretches from North Beach to North Perth,
Bayswater and Maylands.

Checked-by: Don Beck