Delivering a weekend pill testing service in the city and piloting Canberra's first safe injecting room are part of package of proposed drug law reforms which the ACT Greens will take to October's territory election.
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The Greens will unveil the package on Thursday, pledging a commitment to substantially reform the way drug use and dependency is dealt with in the national capital.
The policy platform builds on many of the principles and programs the Greens have advocated for while holding the balance of power in the ACT Legislative Assembly. The progressive party wants drug dependency to be treated through health and community support programs, rather than handled in the criminal justice system.
The Greens will continue to call for routine pill testing in the city on weekends, arguing it will help to keep young Canberrans safe on a night out.
The package also advocates for a trial of what would be Canberra's first safe "drug consumption" room.
Modelled on similar facilities in Melbourne and Sydney, the centre would provide a safe place for people to take and inject drugs under the supervision of medical professionals.
The party would also pour $40 million into drug and alcohol treatment programs each year, an investment it says would "dramatically reduce" wait times for rehabilitation and detox services.
They will also push to allow patients to posses up to 150 grams of medicinal cannabis, and seek to scrap the restrictions on the artificial cultivation of the drug.
In a statement, Greens leader Shane Rattenbury, who has been an ACT cabinet minister since 2012, said maintaining the status quo in addressing harmful drug use was "simply isn't good enough".
"We have to deal with this issue differently if we want better outcomes," Mr Rattenbury said.
"We can reduce the often life-changing interactions people have with the police, legal and criminal justice systems by investing in community-led programs that support people in need."
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
