The Greens are pushing for cannabis to be legalised min NSW.
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At a drug law reform forum in Nowra last week, Shoalhaven Mayor and Greens candidate fore the South Coast, Amanda Findley, said cannabis was "less harmful than alcohol, and isn't the gateway drug that conservative people try to make out it is".
About 40 people took part in the forum hosted by Ms Findley and Greens Senator David Shoebridge.
And they heard Ms Findley say the focus for law enforcement needed to be on impairment, not just drugs being in a person's system.
"If you're impaired full stop, whether it's on legal drugs or illegal drugs or alcohol, you shouldn't be on the road or doing stuff," Ms Findley said.
Instead people were being fined and forced off the road or out of work for having only small amounts of cannabis in their system - sometimes prescribed by medical practitioners.
"It particularly impacts on people who are taking it for pain management in measured doses that are shown to not have impairment problems," Ms Findley said.
And she was able to give a specific example.
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"We read out a letter from a local resident who wanted to remain anonymous, who had to stop using medicinal cannabinoids because they register on the random drug tests," Ms Findley said.
"He was having no side effects and he was feeling pretty good using the cannabinoids, and they were at a low level and didn't cause him impairment, but then he had to got onto pharmaceuticals and if he misses his pharmaceutical dose he gets lots of side effects.
"Because of his work - he doesn't want to be using the cannabinoids because even a tiny amount shows up on the drug tests."
Legalising cannabis would allow it to be sold from registered retailers who could not sell tobacco or alcohol, under draft legislation the Greens are preparing to put out for public comment.
A regulated system would also allow cannabis sales to be taxed, raising much-needed revenue for the State Government.
And it would pour money into state revenue, "rather than propping up wealthy criminals," Ms Findley said.
