Cannabis law reform
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (09:52): Last sitting week I had the privilege of attending the annual oration held in honour of that champion of sensible and compassionate drug policy, David Penington AC. The oration was delivered by another such champion, a former magistrate, the distinguished and utterly delightful Tony Parsons, who focused his speech on cannabis law reform. Tony spoke of the follies and successes of drug policy in Australia, from the high point of the 1980s, when evidence-based harm minimisation policies seemed imminent, to the nadir of the Howard years and the regressive ‘tough on drugs’ policies. Tony asserted that a jolt of leadership and some foresight were all that were needed to advance sensible drug reform. To paraphrase Tony, at its heart it is about taking control of an uncontrolled market and replacing it with a regulated system that prioritises health, safety and community wellbeing. Our current drug policies force cannabis consumers into a black market and preserve and protect that black market. Every day we wait is another day we waste money on failed initiatives and allow crime gangs to rake in the profits from cannabis sales. As we have said ourselves, how often does a social reform come along that meets the holy trinity of good policy reform: the right thing to do, backed by evidence and enjoying broad community support? As an extra bonus, it will actually save the government money. As Tony succinctly put it, for cannabis reform, it is time.