FIGHT LOOMS ON CANNABIS LAW CHANGE

THE State Government will begin formal moves today to decriminalise cannabis.

Under the Cannabis Control Bill, to be introduced into Parliament today,
people growing two plants or possessing less than 30g of the drug for
personal use will not be treated as criminals but instead get on-the-spot
fines of up to $200.

The Opposition has vowed to block the legislation in Parliament and oppose
it in the community.

Leader Colin Barnett challenged Premier Geoff Gallop yesterday to explain
to WA parents why he supported legitimising a drug proved to cause harm.

Health Minister Bob Kucera said cannabis would remain illegal and all users
would be penalised.

He denied that the Government was taking a soft stance on drugs, saying the
laws included tougher thresholds for dealing and the introduction of
regulations for smoking paraphernalia suppliers.

"We want to show quite clearly that although we don't believe that users
should get a criminal record, we simply don't want them to smoke cannabis,"
Mr Kucera said.

Police still had the discretion to charge people caught with small amounts
of cannabis. And people could opt for a lecture on the dangers of cannabis
use instead of a fine.

Mr Barnett said Dr Gallop was sending out a message to children that
cannabis was acceptable.

"This society does not need another widely used and legitimised drug. This
will be a defining issue at the next election," he said.

Opposition drug abuse strategy spokesman Simon O'Brien said Labor members
who were parents were gutless if they did not stand up against the laws.

"Cannabis is not a safe drug and it will do damage to the sort of people
governments are meant to protect," he said. "It will harm people who don't
have options in their lives, people who don't have role models, people
without family."

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation State president Jason Meotti said he
was delighted that the Government had acted on one of the main
recommendations of the community drug summit.

"The focus on the cannabis issue will be switched formally from minor users
and on to the dealers," he said.

He called on politicians to view the legislation in the same bipartisan way
that the drug summit was undertaken.

The foundation supported the Government's move to keep hydroponic
cultivation as a criminal offence but questioned the failure to
decriminalise smoking implements.

Mr Meotti hoped that with the stigma surrounding cannabis use removed, the
Government would introduce an education and health awareness campaign for users.