28 August 2002

Figures Show 'Concern' Over Hard Drugs A Sham

Green MP Nandor Tanczos today said figures proving that police spend much more money enforcing cannabis laws than on all other drugs combined show that Government's concern over the rising use of hard drugs is a sham.

Police figures obtained by Nandor show that in the year 2000 / 2001 police spent over 280,000 sworn police hours at a cost of over $20 million enforcing cannabis laws. During the same period police spent just 185,000 sworn hours at a cost of $13.5 million policing all other dugs combined.

"It's just not true for the Government to say its concerned about the growing use of hard drugs when police spend much more time and money busting people for personal use of cannabis than for importing, manufacturing and wholesaling drugs like methamphetamines and MDMA," said Nandor.

Nandor said that the best way to reduce the demand for hard drugs was to reduce opportunities for people to come into contact with them.

"Most people who use cannabis have no interest in synthetic drugs but come face to face with them every time they go to buy a tinny. Allowing adults to grow small amounts of cannabis for personal use would destabilise the illegal distribution networks and mean less people come into contact with hard drugs."

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