Excellent article. I don't think Ms Kanck's bill has a hope in hell of getting up, but hopefully its introduction will stimulate a debate that is better informed than we usually see on this issue.

My only problem with the bill is that it doesn't go far enough. Currently, tens of thousands of otherwise law-abiding Australians risk criminal convictions by indulging in recreational and medicinal use of marijuana. Many others are serving prison sentences for growing and supplying what is a relatively harmless, indeed often beneficial, drug - simply because it is ideologically and illigically illegal.

We even have some OLO members who vociferously call for marijuana dealers to be executed. How ridiculous is that? If marijuana was legalised and regulated, a large amount of victimless 'crime' would disappear at the stroke of a pen.

But that's too logical for any Australian government, not to mention numerous ill-informed ideologues.

But think of the children! Drugs are bad Mmmkay.

Don't you know that all people who use it end up being schizophrenic? Like every one knows all users of drugs end up stealing to support their addiction. It's a moral absolute. Drugs are bad. That's all you need to know and any talk of a grey area is just wickedness.

I have included here a quote from a study done on the association of cannabis use and schizophrenia. The results are troubling to say the least. I don’t really need to add anything more except to say as a nurse working in an adult acute mental health facility the association between cannabis use and schizophrenia is glaringly obvious. I would also like to draw the readers attention to the numbers of participants, 50,087 in Swedish study.

For the full study please go to the following link

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=135490

'Cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, consistent with a causal relation. This association is not explained by use of other psychoactive drugs or personality traits relating to social integration.'

1 April 2006
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 23 No. 4
Gone to Pot: The Association Between Cannabis and Psychosis
Asif R. Malik, MD, and Deepak Cyril D'Souza, MD

‘Emerging data suggest an association between cannabis exposure and the development of schizophrenia (Table). Interest in the association between cannabis and schizophrenia received a major boost from the Swedish Conscript study, a large historical, longitudinal cohort study of all Swedes conscripted in 1969-1970 (Andreasson et al., 1987). Since Sweden mandates military service, 97% of males aged 18 to 20 years were included. Individuals who at age 18 reported having used cannabis >50 times were six times more likely than nonusers to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia in the ensuing 15 years. Adjusting for other relevant risk factors, including psychiatric diagnosis other than psychosis at conscription, reduced but did not eliminate the higher risk (odds ratio [OR]=2.3) of schizophrenia conferred by cannabis use.
A reanalysis and extension of the same Swedish conscript cohort reconfirmed that those who were heavy cannabis users by the age of 18 were 6.7 times more likely than nonusers to be hospitalized for schizophrenia 27 years later (Zammit et al., 2002). Further, the finding of an increased risk of schizophrenia conferred by cannabis use persisted after controlling for the possibility that cannabis use was a consequence of prodromal manifestations of psychosis.’

Helen54,

See, I am confident there is a 'association', but luke warm on any causation. Even if causeation is proven, I think it would probably be due to under 18 usage and also very heavy usage. I also think people who are already prone to this kind of illness may be more likely to want to use the drug.

When you see the massive amounts of it found in drug busts, where are all the schizophrenics to match the amount of users?

I know personally at least 30 people who have used this drug casually, along with much harder drugs, and they present no mental problems and all have very fulfilling responsible healthy lives.

What I'm saying in my post is that this hysterical drugs are bad message is just nonsense. Alcohol has infinately more portential for harm than dope or extacy.

For the life of me I cant understand why people put so much effort into attempting to prove negative side affects in illegal drugs to keep them illegal, when there is all this data on legal drugs proving massively worse side effects, and they are happy for them to be legal.

I can only assume their fear is more widespread use of the drugs if they become legal, but the widespread use is ALREADY there. Just look at the quantities found in drug busts and tell me their use isn't already massively widespread.

Usual Suspect
Alcohol does have a devastating effect on society. It is almost trendy to detox from alcohol, but it is taboo and very hush, hush, if a family member should become psychotic. Very few family members visit psychotic inpatients. Very few psychotic people venture outdoors at all.
My 25 year old son who holds down a very responsible position was 'bark raving mad' for eighteen months when he was 18. This was directly related to excessive cannabis use. He still hallucinates in the dark and if he is emotionally charged, but is otherwise able to function normally. My second son who is 20, developed an illness similar to obsessive compulsive disorder at age 13. We took him to a psychiatrist who told us to take him out of school, as his mental health was much more important than his education. We found out three years later that this was precipitated by him smoking marijuana. He never did any more schooling of any significance, even though he was enrolled in several distance education curriculums. When he was 17 he took a job working with people who smoked dope heavily and he too became a heavy smoker. He became quite psychotic and was fired from his job. He has schizotypal personality disorder and is on a pension. His chances of being a tax payer are small. His chances of developing full blown schizophrenia should he encounter stress or use cannabis again are very high.
Importantly there is a genetic relationship related to the COMPT carrying gene that decides whether you are going to be a cannabis winner or a cannabis loser. It is discussed beautifully in a longitudinal study from Dunedin New Zealand here
http://www.ukcia.org/research/COMTgene.pdf

My family are cannabis losers. So are many, many other families. It has never really been studied here in Australia but New Zealand and Swedish people have the same physiology as us, why would their studies not be pertinent to Australia? This is especially true now that the Swedish study has adjusted for predisposition and still finds a significant relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia

Naive position driven by glib rhetorical cliches of the pro-decrim lobby. Laughable really. This sort of thing has been bandied about regularly. The victorian govt had a drug summit about 15yrs ago, with masses of personal and professional submissions. That talkfest resulted in a big bill and a cannibas cautioning system.

In the meantime...
1.'users' can grow a couple plants, its a simple offence carrying a small fine. In the meantine they have plenty to 'medicate' their 'illness.'
2. various US states have had a medical cannibas regime going on 15yrs and its a fantastic lark, manipulated by growers.
3. victoria slaps 'offenders' on the wrist (cautioned) for personal use (a month or two of supply).
4. govt levies greaters fines for breaking the speed limit than being caught in possesion of.
5. cannabis (and other drugs) are easier to get and cheaper than alchohol. Illicit poison of choice pretty much available any time of the day, minors more than welcome.
6. users and growers are being charged, then let off via a cautioning/mediation system where they dont go before a judge. They meet with case workers (whilst on a bond) in the local coffee shop, have a chat, are told to 'write' (cut and paste) a 10k essay on the 'evils of' and do 'random' urine tests (they get forewarning and get to handle the transit of the results... bwahahahahaha). Administration is flawed and lax, at best.
7. Recidivists LEARN the system, stay under statutory limits, keeping their heads down when bonded. They routinely re-offend, apprehended with substantial amounts and dont get anywhere near a goal cell. A good lawyer and a tale of woe works nicely. So too does keeping 'clean' for a few yrs b/w apprehensions.

Use and modest cultivation are more or less decriminalised, via the backdoor of soft policing, sentencing and administration. Few offenders get a prosecution, they get good behaviour bonds and NO RECORD.