POT PROBE DELAYED BY COMMITTEE'S WORKLOAD

A parliamentary committee's workload means its inquiry into the health
effects of cannabis will not be completed until next year, says committee
chairwoman Steve Chadwick.

The long-running inquiry was not finished before the July 27 election and
some speculated that the new health select committee might shelve the
political hot potato.

But Ms Chadwick said in September that all political parties represented on
the committee had agreed that the inquiry should be completed and hoped a
draft report would be finished within a month.

Yesterday, Ms Chadwick said the committee wanted to complete a report on the
inquiry, particularly given the many submissions received by the previous
committee.

"However, the committee has faced a considerable workload that has prevented
it from focusing on this inquiry.

"We hope that we will be able to produce a report early next year but have
not set a deadline."

The inquiry was started in late 2000 into the most effective health
promotion strategies to minimise the use of and harm associated with
cannabis, and to decide the most appropriate legal status for it.

More than 550 submissions were received.