Multiple countries in the last decade have legalised the personal use of cannabis including Uruguay, Malta, Mexico, South Africa, Canada and 19 states, two territories and the District of Colombia in the US. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, is legalising cannabis on the cards for Australia too?\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From commercialisation to cannabis clubs \u202f <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Professor Simon Lenton, from Curtin\u2019s National Drug Research Institute, has been researching cannabis policy and law for almost thirty years. He recently co-edited Legalizing Cannabis <\/em>which looks at emerging models world-wide. He says the different options\u202fbeing implemented provide opportunities to study and learn. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n \u201cThere are a huge range of options from strict criminalisation at one end, which we\u2019re all familiar with in Australia, to full-blown commercial profit-driven legalisation at the other,\u201d he says.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n While it might take ten years or more for the evidence to fully accrue, the \u2018commercialisation\u2019 model pursued in parts of North America is already starting to show some advantages and disadvantages, according to Lenton.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a 75% reduction in the number of cannabis users becoming criminalised as a result of their use, which is a great outcome,\u201d he says.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe know that criminalising users doesn\u2019t reduce consumption but can have huge social impacts on those given a criminal record in terms of travel, family and employment opportunities. We also haven\u2019t so far seen an increase in cannabis use among pregnant mothers or under 18s.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he says, \u201cadverse consequences\u201d are starting to emerge.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen rapidly falling prices in places like Colorado where the price has decreased by 50% in the first four years. In legal markets, low prices\u202fincrease use and associated harm.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n High-potency products have also doubled in use.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a significant concern,\u201d says Lenton. \u201cWe\u2019re now seeing many more products like shards, waxes and vape cartridges with THC content of 75% or more compared to street-grade herbal cannabis which contains around 10-15% THC.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Evidence is strengthening that motor vehicle accidents and fatalities appear higher in US states that have legalised cannabis, but it seems that the degree of commercialisation (eg: number of outlets, promotion of the products), rather than the law change itself, is the key factor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lenton says the cannabis industry in North America is \u201cadopting the playbook\u201d of the tobacco and alcohol industries.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCompanies are targeting consumers who are heavy users and are more likely to be experiencing problems. From a public health point of view, we really shouldn\u2019t be putting this drug in the hands of people who are all\u202fabout making a profit.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n So, is there an alternative?\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think, in Australia, we should definitely look at going down a different path,\u201d he says emphatically. \u201cThere are some interesting models that would likely benefit Australian cannabis users, reduce harm at a community level and allow us to carefully assess at every step.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lenton says Spain\u2019s use of government-registered, non-profit \u201ccannabis social clubs\u201d is a useful example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe clubs started as a way to get around a loophole in Spanish legislation,\u201d he explains. \u201cNow in a number of countries, cannabis social clubs\u202fare a place where small numbers of users and growers can get together and grow and harvest cannabis exclusively and anonymously for their members. There is no profit-driven marketing, commercialisation or sale allowed.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n He says each member has their own plants which are grown by the club on their behalf. The club monitors quality control and offers advice to members who may be smoking too much, or placing themselves in dangerous situations. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople need a mechanism of legal supply so these clubs provide a\u202fmethod for regular users to get access, while minimising the problems and risks associated with the commercial model in the US.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Uruguay, the first country in the world to legalise recreational cannabis in 2013, has developed a model that offers users several ways to access the drug. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Uruguay, people can join cannabis social clubs, cultivate at home or purchase through pharmacies where the supply and quality are controlled by the government,\u201d Lenton\u202fexplains.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPharmacies may not be an option in Australia but we could look at having shops where people over 18 could access non-potent products without any impurities. I think it\u2019s good to have a mix of options for those who want to grow their own supply and those who don\u2019t.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another model currently being explored in New Zealand is a \u2018community trust\u2019.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe idea is that community groups get together and organise the growing and sale of cannabis under government control, with the benefits returning to the community at a local level,\u201d he\u202fshares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe community then decides on the amount available and the cost to the consumer.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lenton is a big advocate for these \u201cmiddle ground\u201d options.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think there\u2019s no doubt that the legalisation of cannabis in many other countries is going to result in changes here,\u201d he says. \u201cI think a great outcome for Australia would be a solution that meets the needs of people who smoke cannabis and minimises negative effects at the\u202fcommunity level.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Simon-Lenton-e1665375571228.jpeg\")
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