LEGAL DRUG CROP CONCERN

CANNABIS users allowed to grow two plants without criminal conviction
could harvest up to two pounds, or about 900g, from those plants, a
drug reform lobby group says.

This is 36 times more than the 25g which users would be allowed to
possess without getting a conviction under the State Government's
cannabis law reforms.

They would then face serious penalties for possessing the harvested
drug, according to the Australian Drug Law Reform Association.

The group's WA president, Jason Meotti, said the State Government
should consider this fact.

"You could have a situation where police knock on someone's door one
day and they find two plants and a fine is issued but when they return
the next day and the plants have been pulled out and drying the person
could find themselves in court," he said. "Potentially, each plant
could produce a pound of cannabis or if you are talking about just
dried head material you could be talking about a couple of ounces per
plant, which is still more than the limit which would be allowed."

Under the proposed law reform, which was part of the State
Government's response to recommendations made by delegates at this
year's historic Drug Summit, the possession of 25g of cannabis or two
plants would cost offenders a fine but not a criminal conviction.

He said one gram would make between five and 10 cannabis cigarettes,
or between 10 and 15 cones. Mr Meotti said he was concerned the
cannabis law reform debate seemed to be centring on medical matters.
"People are losing sight of what this is about," he said. "This is
about law reform not the medical pros and cons of cannabis use."

He said the medical implications of cannabis use were important but
had nothing to do with law reform.

"Cannabis use needs to be dealt with and looked at from a health and
social point of view but there is no evidence to suggest that giving
someone a criminal record makes any difference to their usage."

Opposition Leader Colin Barnett said yesterday the proposed law reform
would mean WA households could potentially grow marijuana worth nearly
$100,000.

He said it would be possible for four people living in a single home
to hydroponically cultivate eight plants with a street value of about
$96,000 without facing punishment.

"The Government has said that a small-time user can grow two plants,
but it has set no boundaries on how many of these "offenders"can
cultivate their quota of drugs within one household," Mr Barnett said.

"The message Labor is sending out to the community and to young people
is that it is OK to grow your own dope."

Premier Geoff Gallop said the exact details of the new laws had not
yet been determined. But he said the proposed reform was just an
extension of the cautioning system introduced by the previous
Government for first offenders in possession of small amounts of cannabis.

"What we are doing is extending that system and incorporating it in
legislation," Dr Gallop said. "It's effectively the same sys tem of a
series of civil penalties."