Health Minister Greg Hunt says The Greens’ push to legalise marijuana is ‘dangerous’

THE Greens’ policy push to legalise marijuana has been labelled “dangerous” by federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who says the move will strike fear into every parent’s heart.

THE Greens’ policy push to legalise marijuana has been labelled “dangerous” by federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who says the move will strike fear into every parent’s heart.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale will today launch a new drug law reform policy to decriminalise cannabis, saying those convicted of drug use have to live with a criminal record, which can hurt their ability to get jobs. The Greens also claim funding directed to “ineffective law enforcement responses to drug use” should instead be put into health services and drug education.

“The war on drugs has failed. Governments around the world are realising the prohibition of cannabis causes more harm than it prevents,” Dr Di Natale said.

“It’s time Australia joined them and legalised cannabis for adult use.”

The Greens’ leader Richard Di Natale will launch a new drug law reform to decriminalise cannabis. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says the move will strike fear into every parents’ heart. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The policy announcement comes at a time when Dr Di Natale has faced strong opposition within his own party for not being progressive enough.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hunt said the Greens’ cannabis policy would mean it is “open slather for a highly dangerous and addictive drug” which he said is also a “gateway to even more dangerous drugs”.

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“At the very time the world is facing an opioid crisis, the Greens want to give a blank cheque for another deeply addictive and dangerous drug,” he said last night.

“The ridiculous Greens argument that we should give unrestricted access to drugs that are prohibited applies equally to ice and heroin, and should strike fear into the heart of every parent.”

The Greens’ policy to allow up to six marijuana plants to be grown for personal use was not about “medicine”, Mr Hunt said, with doctors already being able to prescribe the drug for medical treatment where appropriate.

The new policy will allow up to six marijuana plants to be grown for personal use.

“This shows that their agenda has always been open access to narcotic drugs,” he said.

“The Greens have become increasingly weird and drifting off to the extreme left wing and Labor is chasing them there.”

Australian Medical Association President Michael Gannon said while he did not support legalising cannabis, it was a “complex health issue”.

“Marijuana’s association with mental illness and psychosis, the extent to which it might cause psychosis or the chance that it increases the number of psychotic episodes in people with mental illness, is enough of a concern for us,” Dr Gannon said.

“We do see it is a health issue, not a criminal justice issue, so we’re comfortable with the current harm-minimisation approach in Australia.”