The Greens have ditched their opposition to the legalisation of illicit drugs over the weekend, with leader Richard Di Natale labelling the war on drugs a failure.
Speaking about the policy change, Senator Di Natale said it was time to recognise drug issues as a health problem and not a law and order one.
The Greens introduced the change over the weekend following 12 months of consultation with health and drug experts and law enforcement agencies.
President of the Australian Medical Association Dr Michael Gannon said the war on drugs has been ‘counter-productive’ but said they would “look very carefully at any proposal to legalise drugs.’
Dr Gannon says any changes to drug laws would need to place a heavy emphasis on rehabilitation and mental health treatment.
The Greens have called for the establishment of a new independent national regulatory authority that would assess and reduce the harm of illicit drugs by assessing them on a case-by-case basis.
The party also wants to see more pill testing and medically supervised injecting facilities in every state and needle exchange programs in prisons.
