GREENS DROP RADICAL DRUGS POLICY

THE Australian Greens have dropped a controversial policy to study
options to supply drug users with ecstasy and marijuana.

Party leader Bob Brown said yesterday the party had backed away from
the proposal after talking to drug experts.

The plan to investigate the regulated supply of illicit drugs was
ridiculed by critics in the lead-up to the 2004 federal election.

It called for "the controlled availability of cannabis at appropriate
venues" and "investigations of options for the regulated supply of
social drugs such as ecstasy in controlled environments".

Under the Greens' revised drugs policy, decisions about harm
minimisation would rest with a proposed new Australian drugs policy
institute, Senator Brown said.

"The contentious past proposals to investigate options for the
regulated supply of marijuana and ecstasy have gone," Senator Brown
said yesterday.

"It's come after a lot of study by the Greens in reference to national
experts in the field of drugs.

"It takes away the controlled-supply option that was there before
with ecstasy and marijuana."

The new drugs policy, endorsed by the party's national conference in
Hobart, says criminal sanctions for personal drug use should be
dropped in favour of rehabilitation and harm minimisation.

It proposes a new national centre to develop drugs policy based on
evidence-based trials.

"There are serious health risks associated with all drug use," Senator
Brown said.

"We think people - especially young people - should be discouraged
from abusing drugs, including tobacco and alcohol.

"It is harmful for your health and our policy of harm minimisation
reflects that," he said.

Senator Brown accused the Herald Sun of misrepresenting the Greens'
policies in an August 2004 report.

The Australian Press Council upheld a complaint against the Herald Sun
in March last year over the report.