NORML - The Queensland Cabinet has approved a plan to allow those caught with less than 500g of cannabis to be diverted to a rehab programme.

This means that ALL states in Australia now favour some other approach than arresting and convicting cannabis users.

Premier Peter Beattie is however facing some opposition to the 500g limit, and so it may be reduced to be in line with other states, which are mostly around 50g. It's interesting to note the reaction of Drug-Arm Australia, who are not disputing the rehab approach, but think a 50g limit is more appropriate.

Their counterparts in New Zealand are irrational and obsessive supporters of the "lock 'em up" approach.

While Australia has reached agreement that a strict prohibition is unworkable and counter-productive, we have a stiffling public consensus that "drugs are illegal because they are bad"; this so-called consensus means rational debate is almost non-existant, that privately held views on drug policy are seldom aired publicly, and that school kids are often in possession of more facts than Government ministers.

ends

© Scoop Media