Hon Dr Brian Walker asks the Minister for Police about a National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre paper suggesting extending cannabis cautioning to all drug offences could reduce judicial costs. The Minister states modifying existing cannabis laws is not a priority for the Cook Labor government.

AnsweredQoN 839Legislative Council
Asked
15 August 2023
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

NATIONAL DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH CENTRE —CANNABIS
CAUTIONING SCHEME
839. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I
refer the minister to a recent paper produced by academics at the National Drug
and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, which
concluded that, based on a New South Wales model, the extension of the current cannabis cautioning scheme to all drug use and
possession offences has the potential to more than halve judicial costs.
Was the minister aware of this
research and, having had it brought to his attention, will he consider it as a possible
future approach here in Western Australia; and, if not, why not?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Police.
It is not a priority of the Cook
Labor government to modify the existing laws and penalties in place regarding
cannabis possession and use.

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