Back in August 2023, a Green called Cate Faehrmann called for cocaine to be made available to drug users under a government controlled market.

In October of that year, the ABC announced that the ACT had decriminalised small amounts of illicit drugs like cocaine, heroine and ice. The attorney general in the ACT is a Green.

Nothing much seems to have been said about this appalling situation until yesterday, when I received a newsletter from ‘Advance’ suggesting that “The Greens in 2024 want cocaine to be as available as a six-pack of beer”.

“Cocaine should be available ‘like alcohol’, say the Greens. With the help of the government-regulated market mentioned above.

Anyone who believes that the Greens are still just tree-hugging ratbags are sorely mistaken.

The ACT Greens website talks about “a more compassionate, evidence-based approach” to drugs.

Hmm!

I suspect that ‘Advance’ has reintroduced this idea of the Greens as part of the put-Greens-last campaign; but, as a conservative organisation (they did the hard yakka on the NO Voice campaign) that's their job.

And, given that a Labor/Green coalition might be needed to get the disintegrating Albanese government another term, voters need to know what Green really means these days.

So many solutions have been offered regarding
our rising drug problem.

1) Tougher penalties to deter both suppliers and consumers.

2) Others argue that the answer lies in not more law
enforcement and penalties, but less.

3) Still others want to "legalize" drugs. In essence,
repeal and disband the current drug law and enforcement
mechanisms in much the same way as the US abandoned its
brief experiment with alcohol prohibition in the 1920s.

The problem of drug abuse and its related crimes are
issues that require dissection and scrutiny.

There's been no detailed assessment of
the operations we currently have, or of the
meaning of drug legalization. What would legalization
involve? Costs, benefits, trade-offs?

We need to meet the challenges ahead. And there's no better
time than now for a fundamental assessment of whether our
existing responses to this problem are sufficient.

And if not, what should be done?

Well in principle I agree that it is none of the state's business to control people's health, and even if some idiots choose to take horrible drugs like cocaine, etc., then they should still retain the freedom to poison themselves.

But I find it hypocritical when groups campaign for legalising highly toxic drugs while saying nothing about benign and helpful medicines.

Why is it that one can freely obtain a poison like alcohol at the local bottle shop, but needs to see a doctor to obtain life-saving antibiotics and has to do so repeatedly every month or two just to obtain the medicines for their chronic illness which they need to take for the rest of their life?

Yes, I believe in freedom, but even within freedom there are priorities, and some have got them upside down.

More clap-trap from the rabid right, regurgitated by an equally extreme right wing poster. 'Advance' will say anything to promote the propaganda of the extreme.

'Advance’ suggesting that “The Greens in 2024 want cocaine to be as available as a six-pack of beer”. Anyone can "suggest" what they like, I suggest those behind 'Advance' and their supporters want people imprisoned if they don't agree with the 'Advance' line of political clap-trap.

On drug reform, its way over due, the existing approach of punitive action through law enforcement clearly is not working. Millions of dollars and thousands of hours of law enforcement resources has resulted in a growing social problem, with even more crime. The big drug that cause the majority of social problems in society, alcohol, is legal.

The right hasn't pushed for the government to sell cocaine and other drugs. It's the ultra-Left Greens who want that. It can't be denied: even the resident Green loon can't deny it. It is Green policy to legalise cocaine, ice. They have called for it. Not Advance. Not not the right.

Rubbishing the right is not going to change what the appalling Australian Greens want to happen.

The Soviets encouraged Russia to wipe themselves out with vodka. The Australian Greens want to hook Australians on illegal drugs.

What a disgraceful lot they are. Give me the right any day.

ttbn,

I rubbish the claim that; "The Greens in 2024 want cocaine to be as available as a six-pack of beer”. you provide no evidence of that. What has been tried and clearly doesn't work is punitive action through law enforcement alone to control drug use, legal and illegal. With your conservative attitude of maintaining the status quo, it shows a lack of understanding on your part of what is a social problem. I'm not in favour of an open slather, uncontrolled approach to drug use, nor am I in favour of total prohibition, the answer lies somewhere in between. Targeting the end user for punishment through the legal system does not negate the problem, it only consumes resources that could be better deployed elsewhere. Target the suppliers in organise crime is absolutely necessary, and should be continued, but that alone wont eradicate the social problems of drug addiction.

What's your opinion?