❓ Dr. Walker questions the Minister for Water regarding the national wastewater drug monitoring program, specifically concerning cannabis use and the ability to differentiate between medicinal and illicit forms. The Minister deflects, stating the program is federal and directing questions to the Commonwealth government.
AnsweredQoN 519Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL WASTEWATER DRUG MONITORING PROGRAM
519. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I refer the minister to the recent
national wastewater drug monitoring program report, published late last year,
which suggests that cannabis is more heavily used in regional parts of
Australia than it is in our capital cities.
(1) Which department
undertakes the practical monitoring of wastewater here in Western Australia,
and what input, if any, does the state government have to these national
figures?
(2) Given the
steady rise in medicinal cannabis prescriptions across Western Australia, is
our local water testing able to distinguish between prescribed medicinal
cannabis and more illicit forms of the plant?
(3) If the answer
to (2) is that it cannot, what value do the figures have as a measure of
illicit drug use, at least for cannabis?
519. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I refer the minister to the recent
national wastewater drug monitoring program report, published late last year,
which suggests that cannabis is more heavily used in regional parts of
Australia than it is in our capital cities.
(1) Which department
undertakes the practical monitoring of wastewater here in Western Australia,
and what input, if any, does the state government have to these national
figures?
(2) Given the
steady rise in medicinal cannabis prescriptions across Western Australia, is
our local water testing able to distinguish between prescribed medicinal
cannabis and more illicit forms of the plant?
(3) If the answer
to (2) is that it cannot, what value do the figures have as a measure of
illicit drug use, at least for cannabis?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Water.
(1)–(3) The
national wastewater drug monitoring program is an Australian federal government
program. As such, all questions relating to this program need to be directed to
the Australian federal government.
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Water.
(1)–(3) The
national wastewater drug monitoring program is an Australian federal government
program. As such, all questions relating to this program need to be directed to
the Australian federal government.
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