Proposed reforms to the ACT's drug laws have received a mixed response, with new bans on synthetic cannabis described as ''outdated'' but changes to trafficking quantities declared ''just, equitable and evidence-based''.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT government produced a range of changes to drug laws on Thursday, adjusting the trafficking levels for heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy.
Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the changes, which will also end the long process of testing drugs by their ''pure'' amount, will mean fairer outcomes for those facing drug charges in court.
The reforms aim to prevent those possessing small amounts of MDMA and cocaine for personal use being charged with drug trafficking, an offence that carries far heavier penalties.
They also try to prevent those trafficking in heroin and methamphetamine from being hit only with possession charges.
The approach has won praise from the ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association's executive officer, Carrie Fowlie, who said it was a just and equitable approach based on sound evidence.
''The new thresholds more closely align with ACT drug use and purchasing patterns,'' she said. ''They also give the police, the prosecution, the judiciary and the public greater confidence that the penalties match the seriousness of the offences.''
But the government's banning of chemicals associated with synthetic cannabis products such as Kronic, Bath Salts and N-Bomb, was not so well received.
It proposed that 44 new chemicals should be banned, in an attempt to prevent psychoactive substances being sold legally over the counter in Canberra.
Authorities across the country have been frustrated in their attempts to ban such products, as producers continually tweak formulas to get around new bans and continue selling legally.
Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury said the government's approach was ''outdated''.
''When it comes to synthetic drugs, I am keen to see a new approach here in Australia where we try and stay one step ahead of the drug manufacturers,'' he said.
''I am keen for the ACT to explore the model that has been adopted in New Zealand where the government has banned all products, but then those that go through a pharmaceutical testing process and are shown to be low risk for human consumption can be sold legally.''
Ms Fowlie also criticised the bans, saying that they would only lead to the appearance of new drugs, ''which we know even less about''.
The Eros Association, which represents adult retailers, also criticised the proposed bans, saying they backed the old, prohibitionist-type approach.
Association chief executive Fiona Patten, who also heads up the Australian Sex Party, said three new psychoactive substances were coming into the market each week.
