Pot, politics and the press - reflections on cannabis law reform in Western Australia

Windows of opportunity for changing drug laws open infrequently and they often close without legislative change being affected. In this paper the author, who has been intimately involved in the process, describes how evidence-based recommendations to "decriminalize" cannabis have recently been progressed through public debate and the political process to become law in Western Australia (WA). The Cannabis Control Bill 2003 passed the WA Parliament on 23 September. The Bill, the legislative backing behind the Cannabis Infringement Notice (CIN) Scheme, came into effect on 22 March 2004. This made WA the fourth Australian jurisdiction, after South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, to adopt a prohibition with civil penalties scheme for minor cannabis offences. This paper describes some of the background to the scheme, the process by which it has become law, the main provisions of the scheme and its evaluation. It includes reflections on the role of politics and the press in the process. The process of implementation and evaluation are outlined by the author, foreshadowing an ongoing opportunity to understand the impact of the change in legislation

A framework for prevention

Prevention activity often occurs at different levels of community and social network. At the smallest level it could occur among a group of drug users and their peers, at the largest level, it could take the form of international drug treaties and conventions. Clearly, there are a number of ways of facilitating changes at these different levels of community and social network. This paper describes a framework that has been used by the National Drug Research Institute. It is useful in explaining that various prevention activities can operate at different community levels and in different contexts and describes their mechanisms of action. The framework borrows from, and adapts, the 'alcohol prevention conceptual model' of Holder and the 'conditional matrix' of Strauss and Corbin. The framework is limited in that it is not a fully conceptualised, data based or theory driven model that specifies how its elements relate to one another. Despite these limitations it has proved to be useful in planning, understanding and describing prevention activity

Representativeness of online purposive sampling with Australian cannabis cultivators

[No abstract available

Mobilizing public support for providing needles to drug injectors: A pilot advocacy intervention

400 members of the general public in Western Australia were surveyed regarding their attitudes to the provision of needles and syringes to drug users as a means reducing the spread of HIV. Attitudes were measured before and after the presentation of an audio-taped advocacy intervention which explained the rationale and effectiveness of needle provision. After the intervention fewer respondents agreed with stereotypical negative statements about drug injectors; and more supported needle provision, the role of pharmacists in this, and politicians taking legislative steps to support it. The impact of the advocacy intervention suggested that the public were able to assimilate information about harm reduction with injecting drug users. Providing a data based rationale resulted in an increase in support for needle and syringe provision as a public health strategy for minimising the spread of HIV