Page 2194 - Week 06 - Thursday, 6 June 2019
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I note, as Mrs Dunne did, that the issue of how potential growers could access seeds or plants legally is one that the committee could not resolve. I asked the government how this could occur and they could not provide guidance as to a legal source of supply. The committee made recommendations to make the legislation work better in operation, assuming the basic legal issues are solved. These recommendations are around artificial cultivation, quantities of cannabis, and cannabis social clubs. They are designed to make it easier for people to do what the legislation intends: use small quantities of cannabis without fear of criminal prosecution or involvement with illegal activities.
From that point of view, possibly recommendation 16 is the most interesting one, because it is around the cannabis social club concept. It is a concept that is used in other jurisdictions, and basically it just allows group cultivation. All the plants would still have to be owned by ACT residents, and there would continue to be limits on the number of plants. But it would make it more practical for people who are not gardeners to pool their resources and successfully cultivate cannabis.
The committee made a number of cannabis health-related recommendations, 13 and 14, that should happen irrespective of whether this bill is passed. As Mrs Dunne mentioned, there are health implications with cannabis consumption.
I commend the committee’s report to the Assembly. I very much look forward to the government’s response to it, in particular their response to the legal-related recommendations, 10, 11 and 15.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Ministerial delegation to the United Kingdom
Ministerial statement
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (10.55): Our emergency services and police are amongst the best in the world but they are also in a period of transition. This is occurring not only because of our city growing but also because of new challenges that these agencies must deal with and from territorians wanting more from our first responders. A place that has been at the forefront of this transition and that has charted new ways of dealing with emerging challenges has been the United Kingdom.
To learn more about how police, fire, ambulance and emergency services are changing, and to better understand their challenges, I was accompanied in April this year by the Chief Police Officer and the Deputy Director-General for Community Safety within the Justice and Community Safety Directorate on a mission to the United Kingdom. The delegation was fortunate enough to meet with elected officials, civil servants and senior officers from police, ambulance and fire services. Our visit encompassed the cities of London, Glasgow and Birmingham.
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