A so-called ‘War on Drugs’ has been waged by governments on the people of NSW for more than half a century.
But despite harsh criminal penalties and zero tolerance policing, drugs remain readily available and people continue to use them. In fact, more than half of people in this country have admitted to using illicit drugs at some point of their lives.
Criminalising people for having small amounts of drugs doesn’t stop drug use, it just drives people away from life saving health services and support networks when they need them most, clogs up our justice system with minor offences and saddles people with a criminal record that can lead to lifelong negative impacts.
Drug use should be treated as a health and social issue, not a criminal one.
Independent experts have repeatedly recommended removing criminal penalties for the use and possession of small amounts of drugs because it reduces harm, saves lives and allows police to focus on serious crime.
Here’s how Greens will reduce harm from drugs and save lives:
-
Remove criminal penalties for possession or use of small amounts of drugs
-
Reform the Early Drug Diversion Initiative so that the criteria for eligibility and police discretion are removed, ensuring all people caught in possession of drugs are diverted toward the health system and away from the courts.
-
Legalise cannabis by establishing a carefully regulated, taxable framework to take it out of the hands of the black market
-
End the use of drug dogs and strip searches
-
Allow pill testing at fixed sites in the community and on-site locations at major festivals and events
-
Reform drug driving laws for medicinal cannabis patients
-
Increase the number of specialist drug treatment services, including detox facilities and medically supervised injecting centres in regional and remote NSW
-
Repeal the ‘deemed supply’ provision so that someone caught with a certain quantity of illicit drugs is not automatically deemed to be supplying it
-
Wipe all non-indictable offences and criminal records for drug use and possession
-
Implement all of the recommendations of the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug Ice, the Inquest into deaths at NSW music festivals and the 2024 NSW Drug Summit