Central Land Council

Marijuana drug of choice

Marijuana is fast becoming “the drug of choice” in rural and remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory (NT), with its use on the increase according to a new study released in March by researchers from Darwin’s Menzies School of Health.

The study found an unintended consequence of the Federal Intervention into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory has been the increased use of
marijuana.

The NT Government said it would work with the Federal Government in combating the use of marijuana in remote Aboriginal communities by announcing tougher drug laws, including the provision of more detection dogs.

The study ‘Lukumbat marawana: A changing pattern of drug use by youth in a remote Aboriginal community’ by Darwin researchers Kate Senior and Richard Chenhall from the Menzies School of Health shows that marijuana use in one Arnhemland community has jumped since alcohol restrictions were introduced, and as leaded fuel has been replaced by an unsniffable one.

The report researchers also found that marijuana often has a more immediate impact on domestic violence and neglect than alcohol, because it is smoked at home by men, women and children.

“The move from alcohol and petrol sniffing to marijuana use has created a new set of problems, many of which arise in the domestic setting, not outside the community,” the report said.

”The existing marijuana market has grown and its use has extended beyond youths to include adults.”

NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said its new tougher drug laws would make bringing cannabis into remote communities an aggravated trafficking offence.

“The current sentencing standards for remote trafficking are too low – the maximum penalty for trafficking cannabis into a community will be increased from five to nine years imprisonment,” Mr Henderson said.

“The message is simple – if you’re caught bringing dope or dealing dope in your community, you’ll face a severe sentence.”

He said the NT Government had committed $10 million to tackle alcohol and drug abuse, including a licensing identification program and declaring dry areas across the Territory.

“I look forward to working closely with my Federal colleagues to increase our police capacity to deal with drugs in remote areas, including the provision of more detection dogs,” Henderson said.

According to national statistics, marijuana use is highly prevalent in Australia, with at least 11 per cent of the urban non-indigenous population using the drug.

This compares with 22 per cent of Aboriginal people, with the report authors suggesting that this figure is even higher in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.

NT Minister for Indigenous Policy Marion Scrymgour said signs were now in place in Indigenous communities in the Katherine region to clearly communicate rules on alcohol and drug use.

“We believe this will help get the message across and help keep illegal substances out of the communities,” she said.

“We are working with the Commonwealth Government to implement measures under the Intervention to address these issues.”

The signs are the result of a program run by the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services in communities including Borroloola, Lajamanu and Ngukurr.
The NT government’s new laws come as police conducted several drug busts during the month of March.

Sizeable quantities of drugs destined for remote NT communities were seized in those raids during the month.