4 ms·

Remember this is Australia - a very conservative country. Marijuana possession remains a criminal offence here in most places, with minimal sign this will chan

Remember this is Australia - a very conservative country. Marijuana possession remains a criminal offence here in most places, with minimal sign this will change any time soon. When they say "for medical usage", they mean it. This is not just a nice acceptable easing in of liberal recreational drugs policy. Don't expect to be buying party drugs from the chemist before going out on saturday night. Despite the fact that this is precisely what should be happening - nice, safe, clean party drugs instead of god knows what probably methamphetamine/ice.

mullingitover 4y ago
Even if it's not legalized for recreational use, MDMA is a potent, useful therapeutic treatment. This is a good thing, and hopefully the US government will get its head out of the dark ages and follow suit promptly.
pnw 4y ago
I would peg Australia more as an authoritarian liberal country rather than conservative. Most states in the US are far more conservative than Australia. Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. Beyond drugs, that includes pervasive censorship of movies, books, video games, Internet etc. The lack of First and Fourth amendment style protections means that ultimately the government has the final call on these topics, and for whatever reason, neither of the two primary political parties seem inclined to change the status quo. The hypocrisy of it is quite transparent. Last I checked, possession of cannabis and X rated pornography is illegal in all states and territories of Australia, except for the Australian Capital Territory which is the equivalent of DC. Which of course is where most of the politicians are.
- hugh-avherald 4y ago
  The vast majority of politicians do not spend any longer in the ACT than they have to.
- nineteen999 4y ago
  > The hypocrisy of it is quite transparent. Last I checked, possession of cannabis and X rated pornography is illegal in all states and territories of Australia, except for the Australian Capital Territory which is the equivalent of DC. Which of course is where most of the politicians are. Not to mention the pervasiveness of cocaine throughout the community, from tradies to barristers, doctors etc. The hypocritical nanny state mentality that keeps these politicians acting this way is driven by our community and it is sickening.
  - abigail95 4y ago
    Just look at the price of cocaine compared to other similar countries (UK) and it's obvious that while drug use exists in Australia, that specific drug is used less frequently.
    - ace2358 4y ago
      People spend stupid amounts of money of very low quality drugs all over Australia. It’s very very very common.
    - brutusborn 4y ago
      Higher price is a function of demand and scarcity. Scarcity from more difficult smuggling routes and demand from popularity. Although you are correct insofar as a lot of people can’t afford to do it regularly.
- robbiep 4y ago
  Weed is now extensively available through e prescribing just about everywhere
  - Atsuii 4y ago
    It remains criminal to have any THC in your system when driving even with a prescription though. With no meaningful way to test if someone has consumed THC in the past 5 hours vs the night before it makes it a useless medical aid for anyone who has to drive, which outside of inner suburbs of Melbourne & Sydney is the vast majority of people in Australia.
    - 111111101101 4y ago
      I keep hearing this but surely if you presented your prescription in court the charges would be dropped? In my experience, magistrates are usually very reasonable. Police on the other hand...
      - tsimionescu 4y ago
        There are plenty of completely legal prescription drugs you aren't allowed to drive on. Having a prescription will certainly not exonerate you if you're smoking a joint while driving, same as if you were caught taking Xanax while driving. Whether magistrates would look at the levels of THC in your blood and be sympathetic to an argument that you had consumed a long time ago (and thus were no longer under the influence) is another question. I tend to think magistrates would side with the law as written in most cases, if the law explicitly prohibits driving with any amount of THC detectable in blood tests.
    - bobthepanda 4y ago
      DUI for THC is criminal in the legalized parts of the US too, and you also need to drive everywhere in the United States, so that's hardly insane.
    - M4v3R 4y ago
      > It remains criminal to have any THC in your system when driving even with a prescription though Rightly so. I mean maybe it’s too strict (i.e. you’re totally sober but still will be penalized for having anything show up in your blood) but in general driving under THC influence is as bad as driving on alcohol, you could get yourself and others killed.
- mr_beans 4y ago
  Don’t forget the second amendment!
  - Throw10987 4y ago
    I think the second amendment was probably intentionally not mentioned.
- alwayslikethis 4y ago
  I think the word you might be looking for is "paternalistic". I think Australia is among the most authoritarian of the 'Western' countries, with little checks and balances on investigative power or protections for free speech, among other civil rights.
- ghiculescu 4y ago
  I think the political parties don’t change the status quo because as you note, most Australians share this mindset. It was very revealing from overseas looking in during Covid, where there was (proverbial) dancing on the graves of expats locked out of the country for 2+ years. Should have come home when the big boss in Canberra said to, mate!
- petesergeant 4y ago
  The Australians I know tend to have this weird cognitive dissonance where they bemoan the nanny state they live in, and then complain about the lack of rules in the other countries they visit
  - Benjamin_Dobell 4y ago
    Is it really cognitive dissonance that we're assessing laws individually based on merit, rather than prescribing to simple-minded political ideologies focused on vague concepts like more/less laws?
    - askvictor 4y ago
      No, but bemoaning the 'nanny state' sounds like a simple minded ideology.
      - monkeycantype 4y ago
        'nanny state' is almost a shibboleth to communicate a particular flavour of centre-right political view in Australia. Using 'Nanny state' usually communicates someone supports a tough on crime agenda, cuts to social and environmental spending, cuts to regulation. It's a pro business, low tax, tough on property crime view point. Often it actually involves considerable government spending increases on more police and business subsidies, that is often parodied as "socialism for me but not for thee"
  - monkeycantype 4y ago
    I'm an Australian, and don't think that quite nails the dissonance. We're comfortable with being a relatively authoritarian relatively liberal country, because we believe that the government is competent and under our control, and that the sanctions that the government enforces are just a sacrifice we must make to common democratic project, but then ask an Australian - what do think of the current government and the answer is always / at all times, that they are are rabble of incompetent petty thieves rorting the nation. (Except, actually, I'm kind of happy with Penny Wong as foreign minister)
- ikt 4y ago
  when was the last time someone was arrested for possession of pornography?
  - onlypositive 4y ago
    Not sure but they no doubt pick up a few while looking. https://www.itnews.com.au/news/border-force-searched-more-than-40000-devices-in-five-years-580839 https://www.itnews.com.au/news/border-force-searched-more-th...
- crotho 4y ago
  [dead]
- RichEO 4y ago
  > Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. I’m not sure where you are from, but Australia doesn’t share the blind scepticism of government you see in many other countries. Lots of Australians are politically engaged and generally our politicians are quite accessible. It’s not uncommon to see your federal or state member in the community shopping or eating or just generally living their lives. Our governments are not perfect, in fact some times they do truly reprehensible things, but it still feels like things can change and get better here
- caf 4y ago
  Possession of X-rated films for personal use is legal everywhere in the country. Sale or hire is only permitted in the ACT and Northern Territory.
cactusplant7374 4y ago
The question is how many hoops does the patient have to jump through to get the treatment. In the US some doctors want their patients to try 10 drugs + ECT + TMS before prescribing ketamine for TRD.
- donnythecroc 4y ago
  2 treatments if it's the same as THC and CBD. Not hard and they just ask you, they don't check records.
trissylegs 4y ago
For comparison. A few years ago they tried to reschedule Amyl Nitrate (aka Poppers) a drug available as "Leather cleaner" in most sex shops. It was going to put on the same schedule as Heroin making it illegal to possess. Then after complaint they completely changed to make it an over the counter drug. Although as far as I know it's still not available at any chemist I know of. But you can still buy it as Leather cleaner from few sex shops. (Less than it used to)
perilunar 4y ago
> Remember this is Australia - a very conservative country Lol. Australia is less conservative than the US. We are much less religious, sex work is legal, and the drinking age is lower. Marijuana is widely available and accepted, and its legal status is irrelevant most of the time.
- askvictor 4y ago
  It's really a funny one. In many things we're very conservative, in others, much less so. And it's not quite clear why, in which areas. The US is a big place, and varies wildly state-to-state, so not worth comparing as a whole.
  - doubleunplussed 4y ago
    Yeah, it's patchy. Most porn being illegal and erectile dysfunction drugs not being covered by the PBS are two things that come to mind on the conservative side.
macsparrow 4y ago
+1 Progress but unfortunately no chance the TGA will make this genuinely accessible. Keep in mind, the TGA ensure you need a prescription to buy nicotine vaping products.

mullingitover 4y ago

Even if it's not legalized for recreational use, MDMA is a potent, useful therapeutic treatment. This is a good thing, and hopefully the US government will get its head out of the dark ages and follow suit promptly.

pnw 4y ago

I would peg Australia more as an authoritarian liberal country rather than conservative. Most states in the US are far more conservative than Australia. Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. Beyond drugs, that includes pervasive censorship of movies, books, video games, Internet etc. The lack of First and Fourth amendment style protections means that ultimately the government has the final call on these topics, and for whatever reason, neither of the two primary political parties seem inclined to change the status quo. The hypocrisy of it is quite transparent. Last I checked, possession of cannabis and X rated pornography is illegal in all states and territories of Australia, except for the Australian Capital Territory which is the equivalent of DC. Which of course is where most of the politicians are.

hugh-avherald 4y ago
The vast majority of politicians do not spend any longer in the ACT than they have to.
nineteen999 4y ago
> The hypocrisy of it is quite transparent. Last I checked, possession of cannabis and X rated pornography is illegal in all states and territories of Australia, except for the Australian Capital Territory which is the equivalent of DC. Which of course is where most of the politicians are. Not to mention the pervasiveness of cocaine throughout the community, from tradies to barristers, doctors etc. The hypocritical nanny state mentality that keeps these politicians acting this way is driven by our community and it is sickening.
- abigail95 4y ago
  Just look at the price of cocaine compared to other similar countries (UK) and it's obvious that while drug use exists in Australia, that specific drug is used less frequently.
  - ace2358 4y ago
    People spend stupid amounts of money of very low quality drugs all over Australia. It’s very very very common.
  - brutusborn 4y ago
    Higher price is a function of demand and scarcity. Scarcity from more difficult smuggling routes and demand from popularity. Although you are correct insofar as a lot of people can’t afford to do it regularly.
robbiep 4y ago
Weed is now extensively available through e prescribing just about everywhere
- Atsuii 4y ago
  It remains criminal to have any THC in your system when driving even with a prescription though. With no meaningful way to test if someone has consumed THC in the past 5 hours vs the night before it makes it a useless medical aid for anyone who has to drive, which outside of inner suburbs of Melbourne & Sydney is the vast majority of people in Australia.
  - 111111101101 4y ago
    I keep hearing this but surely if you presented your prescription in court the charges would be dropped? In my experience, magistrates are usually very reasonable. Police on the other hand...
    - tsimionescu 4y ago
      There are plenty of completely legal prescription drugs you aren't allowed to drive on. Having a prescription will certainly not exonerate you if you're smoking a joint while driving, same as if you were caught taking Xanax while driving. Whether magistrates would look at the levels of THC in your blood and be sympathetic to an argument that you had consumed a long time ago (and thus were no longer under the influence) is another question. I tend to think magistrates would side with the law as written in most cases, if the law explicitly prohibits driving with any amount of THC detectable in blood tests.
  - bobthepanda 4y ago
    DUI for THC is criminal in the legalized parts of the US too, and you also need to drive everywhere in the United States, so that's hardly insane.
  - M4v3R 4y ago
    > It remains criminal to have any THC in your system when driving even with a prescription though Rightly so. I mean maybe it’s too strict (i.e. you’re totally sober but still will be penalized for having anything show up in your blood) but in general driving under THC influence is as bad as driving on alcohol, you could get yourself and others killed.
mr_beans 4y ago
Don’t forget the second amendment!
- Throw10987 4y ago
  I think the second amendment was probably intentionally not mentioned.
alwayslikethis 4y ago
I think the word you might be looking for is "paternalistic". I think Australia is among the most authoritarian of the 'Western' countries, with little checks and balances on investigative power or protections for free speech, among other civil rights.
ghiculescu 4y ago
I think the political parties don’t change the status quo because as you note, most Australians share this mindset. It was very revealing from overseas looking in during Covid, where there was (proverbial) dancing on the graves of expats locked out of the country for 2+ years. Should have come home when the big boss in Canberra said to, mate!
petesergeant 4y ago
The Australians I know tend to have this weird cognitive dissonance where they bemoan the nanny state they live in, and then complain about the lack of rules in the other countries they visit
- Benjamin_Dobell 4y ago
  Is it really cognitive dissonance that we're assessing laws individually based on merit, rather than prescribing to simple-minded political ideologies focused on vague concepts like more/less laws?
  - askvictor 4y ago
    No, but bemoaning the 'nanny state' sounds like a simple minded ideology.
    - monkeycantype 4y ago
      'nanny state' is almost a shibboleth to communicate a particular flavour of centre-right political view in Australia. Using 'Nanny state' usually communicates someone supports a tough on crime agenda, cuts to social and environmental spending, cuts to regulation. It's a pro business, low tax, tough on property crime view point. Often it actually involves considerable government spending increases on more police and business subsidies, that is often parodied as "socialism for me but not for thee"
- monkeycantype 4y ago
  I'm an Australian, and don't think that quite nails the dissonance. We're comfortable with being a relatively authoritarian relatively liberal country, because we believe that the government is competent and under our control, and that the sanctions that the government enforces are just a sacrifice we must make to common democratic project, but then ask an Australian - what do think of the current government and the answer is always / at all times, that they are are rabble of incompetent petty thieves rorting the nation. (Except, actually, I'm kind of happy with Penny Wong as foreign minister)
ikt 4y ago
when was the last time someone was arrested for possession of pornography?
- onlypositive 4y ago
  Not sure but they no doubt pick up a few while looking. https://www.itnews.com.au/news/border-force-searched-more-than-40000-devices-in-five-years-580839 https://www.itnews.com.au/news/border-force-searched-more-th...
crotho 4y ago
[dead]
RichEO 4y ago
> Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. I’m not sure where you are from, but Australia doesn’t share the blind scepticism of government you see in many other countries. Lots of Australians are politically engaged and generally our politicians are quite accessible. It’s not uncommon to see your federal or state member in the community shopping or eating or just generally living their lives. Our governments are not perfect, in fact some times they do truly reprehensible things, but it still feels like things can change and get better here
caf 4y ago
Possession of X-rated films for personal use is legal everywhere in the country. Sale or hire is only permitted in the ACT and Northern Territory.

cactusplant7374 4y ago

The question is how many hoops does the patient have to jump through to get the treatment. In the US some doctors want their patients to try 10 drugs + ECT + TMS before prescribing ketamine for TRD.

donnythecroc 4y ago
2 treatments if it's the same as THC and CBD. Not hard and they just ask you, they don't check records.

trissylegs 4y ago

For comparison. A few years ago they tried to reschedule Amyl Nitrate (aka Poppers) a drug available as "Leather cleaner" in most sex shops. It was going to put on the same schedule as Heroin making it illegal to possess. Then after complaint they completely changed to make it an over the counter drug. Although as far as I know it's still not available at any chemist I know of. But you can still buy it as Leather cleaner from few sex shops. (Less than it used to)

perilunar 4y ago

> Remember this is Australia - a very conservative country Lol. Australia is less conservative than the US. We are much less religious, sex work is legal, and the drinking age is lower. Marijuana is widely available and accepted, and its legal status is irrelevant most of the time.

askvictor 4y ago
It's really a funny one. In many things we're very conservative, in others, much less so. And it's not quite clear why, in which areas. The US is a big place, and varies wildly state-to-state, so not worth comparing as a whole.
- doubleunplussed 4y ago
  Yeah, it's patchy. Most porn being illegal and erectile dysfunction drugs not being covered by the PBS are two things that come to mind on the conservative side.

macsparrow 4y ago

+1 Progress but unfortunately no chance the TGA will make this genuinely accessible. Keep in mind, the TGA ensure you need a prescription to buy nicotine vaping products.