Police should back off drug users, says report

On Thursday, the 2024 Drug Summit, attended by more than 400 people across four days in Sydney, Griffith and Lismore, released its final report.

Held 25 years after the 1999 Drug Summit, which led to the opening of King Cross’ medically supervised injecting room and sterile syringe programs, the summit was an election promise from the Minns government, and was co-convened by former politicians and mental health advocates Carmel Tebbutt and John Brogden.

Their report included 56 recommendations, ranging from legalising driving while using cannabis to halving time spent periods for minor drug charges. Here’s what you need to know:

The report recommends the immediate end to drug detection dogs and strip searches at music festivals currently involved in the drug trial. Credit: James Alcock

What were the most significant recommendations from Labor’s drug summit?

Calls to decriminalise drug offences permeated the 2024 drug summit, as in 1999. Though the report published on Thursday shies away from decriminalising drugs, it does recommend the period for a conviction for minor drug use or possession be considered spent, for the purposes of a person’s criminal record, be reduced from 10 years to five for an adult and from three years to one for juveniles.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, who attended the summit, said this recommendation was “politically palatable for a risk-averse premier” and ignored the “number one priority for the majority of attendees”, which she said was removing criminal penalties for drug use and possession.

The report also recommended police stop using drug detection dogs and strip searches during the current trial of pill testing at music festivals in NSW – a measure which has attracted criticism – and should consider doing the same at all music festivals.

What other harm reduction and policing measures were recommended?

Just like in 1999, the report recommended increasing access to sterile injecting equipment, expanding opioid substitution programs and introducing a “take home” program for naloxone, which reverses the effects of an opioid after an overdose.

It also recommended amending legislation which limits the number of medically supervised injecting rooms in the state to the one in Kings Cross, expanding drug courts to regional areas and strengthening diversion programs for youth offenders.

Social media campaigns and increased investment in public and social housing were suggested as ways to divert young people from drug use. Emphasis was placed on early drug intervention programs for children before they reach five years of age.

The Sydney portion of the 2024 Drug Summit was held at the International Convention Centre in December.Credit: AAP/Bianca De Marchi

Could medicinal cannabis users be legally cleared to drive?

The report suggested introducing a medical defence for anyone driving while using medically prescribed cannabis, which would also allow police to consider this defence during roadside stops.

In NSW, it is currently illegal to drive when taking cannabis medications with THC, the psychoactive part of the cannabis plant. Last month, medicinal cannabis users in Victoria were cleared to drive.

Legalise Cannabis Party MP Jeremy Buckingham welcomed the recommendation as “eminently sensible” though “somewhat overdue”.

“The laws around driving under the influence remain … no one should be behind the wheel impaired in any way,” he said, adding that those with medical prescriptions are “not impaired”.

The state government has been asked to provide a response to the report within six months.

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