Door Slams On Dealers - Marijuana Limit Cut To Three Plants

South Australians caught growing more than three cannabis plants will now face criminal charges.

Cabinet has approved in principle new regulations cutting the personal-use limit on cannabis plants from 10 to three.

The change comes in response to police concerns that existing laws are allowing drug dealers to grow cannabis and take it to the eastern States for sale or exchange for harder drugs.

Currently, people caught growing 10 plants or fewer are fined up to $150 with no conviction recorded.

The Human Services Minister, Mr Brown, said yesterday new regulations would go to Cabinet and be finalised in the next few weeks.

"That means that for up to three plants there will be an expiation fine for possession or growing," he said.

"However, beyond that it would become a criminal offence."

Detective Superintendent Rob Maggs, of the Drug Task Force, said the 10-plant rule, when introduced in 1987, had not taken into account the revolution in hydroponics techniques which would allow a single plant to produce a large amount of dried cannabis.

He said 10 plants could now generate more than $300,000 a year on the street market.

"They're much larger now than they used to be, and the quality and the purity of them is much more improved," Detective Superintendent Maggs said.

"Marijuana that is cultivated here is being used as a commodity to swap for stronger drugs and is also being conveyed to other States."

Mr Brown said the recommendation to reduce the number of plants had come from Parliament's Controlled Substances Advisory Committee, which includes medical and police representatives.

The Police Commissioner, Mr Mal Hyde, who yesterday addressed the Australasian Conference on Drug Strategy in Adelaide, outlined the scale of cannabis production in SA.

Mr Hyde said interstate commissioners had told him the production of cannabis in SA was adding to their illicit drug problems. "We are a net supplier," he said.

"A lot of cannabis is going interstate."

Mr Hyde said a pound (about 450g) of cannabis sold here for $3500, while it sold in the eastern States for $4500.

The Opposition justice spokesman, Mr Michael Atkinson, said cannabis laws were a conscience vote in the Labor Party, but he supported the actions of the Government.

"Some of these plants are huge - if you get the right kind of plant they can generate vast amounts of cannabis," he said.

"Three plants would be quite sufficient for one person to use."

The Australian Democrats State parliamentary leader, drug law reform proponent Mr Mike Elliott, said the move would not make "an iota of difference in terms of supply".

"Cannabis consumption in SA is the same as in other States - it hasn't gone up because of our drug laws, so it's hard to see what this is trying to achieve," he said.

The director of Flinders University's National Centre for Education and Training on Addictions, Dr Steve Allsop, said the change "doesn't signify a toughening of the stance on drugs".

Copyright News Limited 1999

News : Archives : May

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, news clippings are made available without profit for research and educational purposes.