Queensland report adds to push for drug legalisation Australia
Using and possessing cannabis and MDMA should be legalised in Queensland, the state’s regulatory review body says.
Criminalising drugs had failed to cut down on their use and supply, a report by Queensland’s Productivity Commission said. ‘‘‘Despite this, the Queensland government spends around A$500 million enforcing drug laws and imprisons around 1840 people per year.’’
The news comes after the Australian Capital Territory on Friday relaxed laws around personal cannabis use. People there are now allowed to possess up to 50 grams of the drug and to grow two plants.
But the Queensland state government has rejected the commission’s call, saying in its response to the report that it has no intention of altering drug laws.
The commission has recommended legalising the use and supply of cannabis and MDMA in a staged reform process.
It analysed the cost of keeping people behind bars as part of the study. ‘‘Without action to reduce growth, the government will need to build up to 4200 additional cells by 2025,’’ the report said. Adopting
its proposed reforms would save A$270m (NZ$279m) a year in prison costs without compromising safety.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said people who committed serious crimes should go to jail. ‘‘But given the costs of keeping prisoners in prison, we need to examine whether that is the best option for people who repeatedly fail to pay fines, or are repeatedly arrested with small amounts of drugs for personal use.
‘‘That’s especially true if that prison sentence pushes a smalltime offender towards a life of more crime, rather than rehabilitation,’’ she said.
Friday marked the start of controversial new drug laws passed in the ACT in September.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal government would not intervene to overturn the laws. But it’s still unclear if police will charge people for possession under federal law rather than ACT law.