These are the minutes of the first meeting of a working group trying to create a workable model for the regulated legalisation of cannabis. As such it is emphasised that this is just a first discussion document between current participants as they stood on the day. If you disagree strongly with any aspect included, and can mount a rational argument, contact us.

MINUTES of REGULATED & TAXABLE
CANNABIS MEETING

On 21 June 2008, a group of committed cannabis drug law reformers came together to discuss what a Regulated and Taxable Cannabis policy might look like. The cross section of Hemp Embassy members, dealers, long term cannabis users & drug and alcohol health workers were joined by Dr Alex Wodak and Ann Symonds (former MP and chair of Parliamentary Council for Drug Law Reform). The discussions were addressing issues of personal use (both recreational and medical) and regulated supply.

Opening Statement
Arguments for drug law reform are so strong and those against are so weak.

Four Areas Addressed in the meeting

1. What do we want? Plan B

2. How do we get there?

3. Develop NHMCR guidelines for safer cannabis use

4. Medicinal cannabis separate from recreational use issues

1. What do we want
Treat cannabis like a commodity
Develop national consistent guidelines for use and supply of cannabis
Establish a way to do deal with people growing their own cannabis
Regulate not decriminalize the cannabis market
Change current cannabis market controlled by organized crime

What rules for personal use
• 5 mature female plants
• Amounts 2-5 kilos per year
• Quality control (level of contaminants in all forms of cannabis)
• Establish equivalent levels for hash and oil
• Over these amounts – different categories dependent on reasons for use
• Large amounts for personal use could be regulated
• Possible licence to grow annually, run by police or another regulatory body
• Exemptions for different types of use
• Possible $100 fee for licence
• Grown in area that is safe and secure
• People sharing house - establish how many plants can be reasonably grown
• Seed and cutting banks

Use
• Driving restrictions. No driving for up to 4 hrs after using cannabis, no driving for up to 8hrs after using ETOH (ethyl alcohol) and THC, illegal to drive above a prescribed limit
• Removing criminal statutes and criminal records for personal use (Re-define use)
• Encourage non -smoking routes of administration
• Define where cannabis users can consume – adults have same limitations as tobacco
• Many daily THC users work operate machinery
• Develop appropriate testing for drug impairment not presence

Children and youth no sales
• All safety issues of tobacco, not in car with children
• Underage use – parental guidance similar to ETOH

How to supply
• Cultivation
- Regulated Body like Cannabis Control Board to issue licences and monitor growers
- Licence to cultivate certain amounts for supply
- Licence to grow limited for 1-3yrs
- Co-operative bodies or cottage industry options

• Refining
- Quality control THC content/level (similar to alcohol)
- Making hashish and other value added products
- Market will decide types of cannabis strengths, etc

• Packaging – information labels issues by Government, quality, health seeking info

• Sale
- Growers sell to Cannabis Control Board who sell to wholesalers
- Wholesalers sale to Retailers
- Retail specialist outlets
- Proof of age same as ETOH
- No cannabis on display – have to ask
- No selling to people affected by other drugs
- Can not locate with hotels or tobacconist - separation of drugs
- Boutique growers for boutique outlets
- Commercial (grow shops)

• Outlet type
- Placement so as not to encourage secondary use by underage (not near schools)
- Coffee shop – for sale and consumption
- If you have licence to sell cannabis and can’t sell other drugs – close surveillance closure within 24hrs for breach – no appeal

• Advertising ban

• Donations to political parties - prevent, limit or declare

• Taxation
- Only a small amount of monies into hypothecation fixed proportion goes to d & a education, prevention and treatment
- Acknowledgment of traditional owners where cannabis is grown with land use tax going back to traditional owners

• Pricing
- as high as to limit black market - $5 - $10 per gm

• Blackmarket
- will always exist, but won’t dominate market

• Quality

2. How do we get there
• Over the next 3-4 months develop a clearer idea of realistically how a RTC would work. Don’t be in a hurry
• Release could coincide with 2009 MardiGrass, no early releases of material
• Need to ensure there is support across the country and the right information has been made available for a unanimous cross section of support
• The report would have detailed information of what we want, plan language, 5 pages. What is the problem, how to solve it
• Include a one page list of measured responses and what we want to achieve
• Pre-prepare whole lot of people to give measured responses
- ADLRF, - Parliamentary group – Ann to review memberships and encourage new members
- Community members
- Church groups
- Law Society
- Police
- Council for Civil Liberties
- Friends and Family for Drug Law reform
• US Police group LEAP – need to be selective about which members could speak, US style policing may not suitable
• Alex proposes to invite two high profile advocates from US plus the Canadian senator (now Mayor of Vancouver) to MardiGrass next year
• Will decide if it is better to be announced by Parliamentary Group in terms of credibility and engaging community support
• Possibly draft some alternative legislation on personal, use and supply using RTC model – Steve Bolt, Duncan Kerr

3. Develop NHMRC guidelines for safer cannabis use
(Nimbin Health and Medical Research Council)

• When and how to release - soon
• Review existing material and produce document to be launched
• Include - Less is more (Andrew Wyle)
- Pregnant or breast feeding info
- Quitlines
- Inhalation safer than smoking
- Put together to sets of docs – protection of youth

4. Medical

• Separate to recreational
• Develop Supply and Distribution model
• Complexities on medical THC – Alex stated … there is an intellectual property issue as the cannabis plant is not regulated. Western medicine relied on the principle of reductionism (since Renaissance), that is, purify the active ingredient in a known quantity, and if there is a problem then lower level. The whole plant works better than refined parts of it. There is a balance between the depressant molecules and the stimulant molecules in unprocessed cannabis, this can change when cooked and eaten. Absorption via the mouth is erratic. Inhalation especially via vapouriser is good medicinally

• Develop a list of conditions when medicinal cannabis could be allowed
• Sativex product (sedative and depressive) made by British company, GW Pharmaceuticals (bought out by Bayer) are scientifically focusing on Cannabis. The Sativex company grow their own cannabis which is cloned to be identical
• Supply issue of medical cannabis is the most difficult to establish
• Medicinal cannabis needs to be made to look like a pharmaceutical medication
• Medicinal cannabis users could be given card carrying health exemptions
• Develop strengths for all types of products
• Have policy on Driving
• Compassion club – survey completed – data being reviewed
• No reasons why Australia couldn’t produce own Sativex
• Drs need to be aware if patient using cannabis
• Cost should subsidized