Catholic Diocese of Broome

Marijuana, dope, gunja, weed, pot – there are many names used for this very dangerous substance, a drug of devastating proportions that threatens the well-being of our society and in particular young people.

In legal documents this drug is referred to as cannabis and is presently the cause of much debate as the WA State Government prepares to present a Bill before Parliament that will stiffen the weak and ineffectual legislation passed by the previous government six years ago. Now in opposition, the Labor Party’s present view is to tighten the Law too, clearly indicating that they think they went too far in their handling of the so-called Reform Bill. Part of that Legislation introduced the Cannabis Infringement Notice (CIN) which was served when a person was apprehended for possession of less than 30g of the substance. Such people were given a choice of paying a $100 fine or attending a health care education lecture. The result of this trivialization of the offence was to render the use of cannabis a non-event in the view of many. Its use, in the minds of some, became somewhat more legitimized. In addition to this the police lost interest in prosecuting what was now a perceived trivial misdemeanour. Consequently, there was little activity in the area of fines and the attendance at health education lectures all but disappeared in the arena of law enforcement. Is it any wonder that some unthinking parents continue to smoke in front of children as though their activity is harmless? And is it any wonder that children as young as eleven in some communities have been found to be smoking cannabis and trading in it? You reap what you sow.

The obvious health dangers that threaten society are ignored in the debate that so often accompanies these rare moments when we are able to review the real effects of our laws. The risk of Drug Induced Schizophrenia and the lack of a will to work, contribute, conform and attend to normal duties are damaging by-products of using gunja. In this cloud of inertia we see a distinct rise in the criminal behaviour needed to sustain the habit. We also see the emergence of the new ‘unemployable’ members of our society who have been doped into non productive behaviour.

Perhaps most frightening of all is the rise of youth suicide in our northern society, a phenomenon virtually unknown in the Kimberley before the introduction of this so-called recreational drug. The result of mixing alcohol and cannabis is well documented in medical circles and its effects noted in the part they play in self-harming activities. If anyone thinks the drug is harmless then let them talk to the parents, family and friends of those youngsters who have taken their own lives or harmed themselves.

There should be no trivializing the nature of the drug or playing down the harm it causes. Support is needed for users and for their families, who often suffer economic and emotional hardship as the result of living with a cannabis abuser. Recalcitrant smokers and dealers need to be dealt with harshly in order to confront them with the seriousness of their harmful practices. There need to be medical educational facilities in hospitals and clinics made available to lead people away from their self-destructive pathways. Advertising campaigns, especially designed and hard-hitting, should address gunja smoking as much as present advertisements address binge drinking and disorderly behaviour. Drug and alcohol awareness agencies are virtually invisible in the Kimberley. They need to be encouraged to do the hard yards and speak out to make young people and children aware of how harmful cannabis is. Along with some parents, the police will need to be re-educated to learn to appreciate once more the horrific damage done to families and individuals by cannabis use. Our politicians too, at least some of them, should forget the statistics, think of human beings and consider the damage resulting from their inattention to appropriate law enforcement and education when dealing with cannabis. It is time for a new beginning. It is a matter of life or death.