Under the new system, individuals will receive a warning from police for possessing marijuana. Individuals may receive no more than two cautions, must have no prior criminal convictions for drug offenses, and agree to being cautioned, the Australian Associated Press reported. Presently, three Australian states have implemented policies decriminalizing the personal use of marijuana.
Federal statistics indicate that one-third of the population have tried the drug.
Penington himself recommended that the government decriminalize marijuana in 1996 as head of Premiere Jeff Kennett's advisory council on drug reform, but the state failed to endorse the measure. State Opposition leader John Brumby, said that Comrie's administrative decision demonstrates Kennett's failure to provide leadership on the drug issue. Comrie said that he will issue a final decision in two months. He said that he will also consider whether to implement such a policy concerning the possession of other drugs. Only four percent of respondents, less than 1,000 voters overall, said they opposed the drug's use by seriously ill patients.