A member of parliament questions the Minister for Police and Emergency Services regarding cannabis use among young detainees and its link to crime, specifically asking about the government's plan to decriminalise cannabis. The Minister acknowledges the statistics and the link between drugs and crime, but gives a terse response.

AnsweredQoN 567Legislative Assembly
Asked
2 April 2003
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the minister to the “Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA): 2002 Annual Report on Drug Use Among Police Detainees” prepared by the Australian Institute of Criminology and released on 16 March this year. (1) Is the minister aware that nearly 90 per cent of men between the ages of 18 and 20 tested in 2002 at the East Perth lockup following their arrest returned a positive sample for cannabis use? (2) Is the minister aware of comments made by the Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, Dr Adam Graycar, that the link between illicit drugs and criminal offending continues to be strong? (3) Given the mounting evidence that suggests strong links between cannabis use and crime, does the minister support the Government’s plan to decriminalise cannabis? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

(1) I am aware of the general figures that the member has mentioned. Therefore, generally, yes. I am assuming that he has quoted those statistics correctly. (2)-(3) Yes.
(1) Is the minister aware that nearly 90 per cent of men between the ages of 18 and 20 tested in 2002 at the East Perth lockup following their arrest returned a positive sample for cannabis use? (2) Is the minister aware of comments made by the Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, Dr Adam Graycar, that the link between illicit drugs and criminal offending continues to be strong? (3) Given the mounting evidence that suggests strong links between cannabis use and crime, does the minister support the Government’s plan to decriminalise cannabis? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) I am aware of the general figures that the member has mentioned. Therefore, generally, yes. I am assuming that he has quoted those statistics correctly. (2)-(3) Yes.
(2) Is the minister aware of comments made by the Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, Dr Adam Graycar, that the link between illicit drugs and criminal offending continues to be strong? (3) Given the mounting evidence that suggests strong links between cannabis use and crime, does the minister support the Government’s plan to decriminalise cannabis? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) I am aware of the general figures that the member has mentioned. Therefore, generally, yes. I am assuming that he has quoted those statistics correctly. (2)-(3) Yes.
(3) Given the mounting evidence that suggests strong links between cannabis use and crime, does the minister support the Government’s plan to decriminalise cannabis? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) I am aware of the general figures that the member has mentioned. Therefore, generally, yes. I am assuming that he has quoted those statistics correctly. (2)-(3) Yes.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) I am aware of the general figures that the member has mentioned. Therefore, generally, yes. I am assuming that he has quoted those statistics correctly. (2)-(3) Yes.
(1) I am aware of the general figures that the member has mentioned. Therefore, generally, yes. I am assuming that he has quoted those statistics correctly. (2)-(3) Yes.
(2)-(3) Yes.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more