From Decriminalising to Legalising Cannabis: An Interview With Ex-ACT Health Minister Michael Moore
As far as ACT Labor MLA Michael Pettersson is concerned, his territory will be legalising the use and personal possession of cannabis before the year is out. The legislation he introduced to make this happen is currently before a parliamentary...
Calls for Overhaul of Drug Driving Laws
Roadside drug testing was introduced into the NSW setting in 2007. Just like random breath testing (RBT) for alcohol, drug testing drivers was said to be brought in to improve safety on the roads. But, unlike RBT, it doesn’t test...
The Intrusions Increase: Police Are Conducting Strip Searches at Train Stations
On Wednesday 13 March, photos emerged on Facebook that showed NSW police officers on a platform at Sydney’s Central station at 2.25 pm, accompanied by sniffer dogs and with strip search tents set up on the side of the walkway....
Police Should Test for Impairment Levels of Drugs, Not Minute Traces
On the first weekend of this month, NSW police carried out a roadside alcohol and drug driving blitz in the Northern Rivers region. And while locals aren’t complaining about officers booking drunk drivers, they are opposed to those charged with...
NSW Greens Push to Legalise Recreational Cannabis
The NSW Greens are set to introduce a private member’s bill within 100 days post-state election that could see recreational cannabis legalised for adult use in NSW during the next parliamentary term, which is a move that an increasingly large...
Criminal Lawyer ‘Struck Off’ After Being Convicted of Drug Supply
Ugo Parente was employed by a criminal law firm in Liverpool shortly after being admitted as a New South Wales lawyer in 2006. He represented clients in a range of criminal cases and was a vocal anti-drug campaigner. He was...
‘Medicine Man’ Escapes Prison Time for Serious Drug Charges
Veteran medicinal cannabis producer Tony Bower escaped prison time when he was sentenced for commercial drug cultivation, along with other serious drug offences, at Port Macquarie District Court last Monday. Known locally as the Medicine Man, Mr Bower turned himself...
For the Rights of the Marginalised: An Interview With Greens Candidate Kym Chapple
Whilst she’s been doorknocking in the lead up to the NSW state election that’s set to take place in a fortnight, NSW Greens candidate for Heffron Kym Chapple has found that concerns around drug law reform have been front and...
Integrity of Criminal Justice System in Tatters: The ‘Lawyer X’ Scandal
At 4.15 pm last Friday afternoon, the Australian High Court and the Victorian Court of Appeal lifted suppression orders, which lead to the disclosure of the identity of Lawyer X: a police informant, who whispered her clients’ confidential details to...
Towards a Regulated Drug Market: An Interview With Robert Richter QC
Human beings have been using psychoactive substances since prehistoric times. The use of opium, mushrooms, psychedelic cacti and alcohol has gone on for millennia. You might say that drug use has gone hand in hand with the progress of civilisation...
