NORML New Zealand Online News Service Forwarded from "Pot News" by HEMP SA 14-7-00:

Last night in SA progress was made. Carolyn Pickles was supported by the Democrats in a motion which brings the limit for decrim growing back to less than 10 plants from less than 4 plants.

It is well known that since the introduction of the 3 plant law in SA, marijuana prices have skyrocketed and people have been forced to use other more dangerous drugs as a result.

Congratulations goes to The ALP and The Democrats for taking this issue seriously.

Maybe some thought should go into a bill that would really help the situation for those who can't grow plants because they are too sick....A Bill to allow the legal growth, sale and supply of cannabis under licence.

Have a great day everyone.

Legalizit. http://www.marijuana.com.au

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MEDIA RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 14/7/2000

SA ROLLSBACK CANNABIS LAWS - A VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY AND COMMON SENSE

The rollback of the Olsen Governments' secretive three plant plan should be applauded by South Australians, but will be cursed by organised crime.

The original changes, kept secret by the Liberals at the last election (as admitted by MP Graham Ingerson), were an ill conceived and counter-productive response to the fallacious myth that "South Australia's lax laws have led to a horticultural boom that is benefiting organised crime".

This is false on all three counts as we have previously demonstrated. (see HEMP Expose Media Misunderstandings over Marijuana 11/2/00) The three plant changes have only encouraged indoor growing. Why grow three outdoors once a year, only to have them ripped off, when you can grow three plants indoors four times a year safely and securely?

Police concerns that organised crime are benefiting from SA's laws are half right. Whilst police claimed organised crime were the major beneficiaries from the 10 plant limit and "syndication" was a real problem, the reverse is probably the case. Organised crime flourishes wherever prohibition exists. It is arguable that our laws have reduced corruption on the scale we saw demonstrated in the Wood Royal Commission. A widespread cottage industry as probably exists is better from a social, economic and law enforcement perspective than a smaller more hierachial criminal structure where fewer bigger players control larger market shares and can more easily trade in other drugs, and corruptly influence police, judicial and political institutions (as the Fitzgerald Inquiry demonstrated in Qld.) This fact is corroborated by Dr Adam Sutton, a respected criminologist and one of the earliest investigators of the SA system.

The rollback of the 3 plant regulations is an important first step in beginning a much needed community debate, one that should have taken place before these changes were snuck through under cover of the ETSA sale. It is not the pros and cons of Cannabis use, but how best we regulate a hitherto unregulated trade. Over 16,000 people voted for HEMP at the last election. Tens of thousands more use Cannabis .They are not criminals and do not want to be treated as such.

Both the Victorian and NSW Governments are moving towards a system of regulating Cannabis through Dutch style coffee-shops. South Australia is being left behind by the Eastern States yet again, potentially missing out on a multi-billion dollar industry. It is time the SA Government moved forward to regulate the supply of Cannabis separating it from the sale of other drugs and removed the trade from organised crime by enacting the recommendations of the Australian Institute of Criminology, the SA Legislative Council Select Committee and the SA Royal Commission to regulate the availability of Cannabis.

For further information please contact Mr Jamnes Danenberg 08 8287 9442

or Mr John Jiggens 08 8357 7360

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