Hasbeen,

Ordinarily I might agree with you. See this though:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130124123453.htm

Perhaps the elderly deserve some choice.

To add.

Not keen on chemicals myself is what I was trying to say. I recognise you would give them choice too, rather than have some interfering bureaucrat decide for them. There are far too many bureaucrats interfering in private lives. An inheritance of years of Labor.

Hi there RAWMUSTARD...

Without resorting to being the 'goody two shoes' ol' copper, I personally can't see any problem at all, with allowing adults afflicted with chronic pain, to partake in Marijuana ? Further, I believe it should be grown, harvested and refined, by government licenced farmers, similar to that of the controlled growing of the opium poppy, in Tasmania. The essential ingredient for the manufacture of Morphine Sulphate, or Morphine Hydrochloride.

It's my understanding, Australia supplies a fifth of the world's Morphine requirements in any one year.

However, back to Marijuana. By the carefully regulated cultivation of the genus, Cannabis sativa plant (the plant from which comes 'hemp' for the mfg.of rope), strict quality control can be achieved. Thus the user can have every confidence in the actual strength and quality of what he's using. Surely this has to be the way to go ?

As you are also aware RAWMUSTARD, Marijuana is just a single component to it all - Indian Hemp, cannabis oil, hash oil, the extra strong cannabis resin (hashish), all come from the cannabis sativa plant. All of which can be smoked sniffed or ingested.

Sorry old mate, I'm boring you with this superfluous stuff ? In any event, the above position is my opinion, and if the process was followed carefully, the drug could then become decriminalised once and for all, and become economically attractive for everybody, keeping the filthy crooks right out of the equation !

I might also add, most detectives that I've known, would agree with me, in relation to Cannabis sativa, I feel quite sure of that ?

G'day there HASBEEN...

In my previous area of work, to be described by a boss as a 'management problem' is being likened to a real pain in the arse ? No accolades there at all I'm afraid.

Your hard and fast resistance to any sort of drug therapy is likely to be a throw back to your initial days in Naval Aviation ? Once out of the Navy, your obvious progression into motor sports, rallying and racing, further usurped any notion or desire to engage in any drug taking, lest it impaired your reflexes. Same with your dedicated equestrian activities, you couldn't permit yourself to be under any sort of drug induced euphoria, with sports that required lightening reflexes, or sound, split-second judgements ? Particular, with the care of a horse, squarely within your purview.

You yourself, just a moment ago, railed against taking your 'necessary' heart medication, but sheepishly admitted you were too scared to stop ? That's not an admission to fear or cowardice my friend, that speaks loudly and clearly of your devotion to your family (and 1 x horse), together with an assemblage of TR7's in varying degrees of completion !

I reckon HASBEEN, you love life far too much to risk mucking it up in some needless way. Further, I also reckon life loves you, equally !

o sung wu,
There was nothing more disheartening, though you couldn't show it, than writing up a PRU that was about to destroy the career prospects of some cadet bank clerk or junior manager in a small business just because he had a couple of joints in his possession in a random club search or index pullover.
All you could do was tell the beak he cooperated to the fullness and hope he walked.
The present system stinks.
If they want to cut the drug trade out they can by simply introducing a "Star Chamber" solution.
You pick up the user and the "Chamber" asks him where he got it. If he refuses to talk that then becomes contempt and he sits in the cell until he talks.
When he does talk you pick up that person and go through the same routine...All the way to the top.
Otherwise legalize the stuff.

Good evening to you CHRISGAFF1000...

You speak with some considerable experience of your appearances before the beaks ? You employ the word 'disheartening' ? Indeed it's disheartening alright, when you put in hours on a pretty good brief, and the Magistrate finds all offences proven but cuts him loose on a 356a, because he lacked toys when he was young ? Yup that's sure disheartening alright.

Indeed a simple process, that may well work ? Still and all you've failed to recognise the relative egos of the Chris Murphy's of the world, as they laboriously ply their trade around the musty corridors and cellular area of the hitherto, 'Court of Petty Sessions'. How on earth can you expect the august legal profession to cede away, their considerable influence, to such an imaginative proposal ? Without first, seeking their imprimatur ?

Justice must be seen to be done, not simply done ? Police cannot be trusted to dispense justice without the academic guidance of those who practice at the bar ? Your last sentence had some real resonance for me '...just legalize the stuff...' perhaps that may be the only real resolution, to this inscrutable problem Chris ?

Thank you for your contribution, I do appreciate it.