This is the
homepage of HEMP SA
the South Australian
user representative
activist group founded in 1993 to
Help End Marijuana Prohibition
To Contact HEMP SA:
phone: 0439 800 891
e-mail: hempsa@gmail.com
Incorporated as an association, we are a volunteer group of ordinary South Australians dedicated to ending the prohibition of Cannabis sativa.
Our common link is a belief that the prohibitionist laws against Cannabis and Cannabis users have been an immoral, expensive, counter-productive and corrupting social tragegy.
HEMP's major aims are to change the laws by educating ourselves, lobbying politicians and other groups, and contributing to, and initiating the public policy debate on drug law reform.
Our long term goals are the decriminalisation and regulation of Cannabis for personal use, possession and cultivation; the establishment of a commercial hemp industry and the permitting of Cannabis for medical and therapeutic uses.
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HEMP marching down King William St, Adelaide
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August 8th, 1994
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Short term goals include accurate, informative harm minimisation campaigns for users, consultation of users and representation by user groups in public policy formation, amendments to the CEN system in SA and retrospective abolition of criminal records for simple cannabis offences.
Want to know more?
Check out our Aims and Policies.
If you live in Adelaide Come to one of our meetings.
Where ever you are in the world you can Subscribe to HEMPnews
Get inspired or just copy What We've Done
Some great books and resources to help you Educate Yourself
Find out what was said about Cannabis at the SA Governments Drug Summit 2002
Check out our Submission to the Drug Summit here
Get the election results and all the Latest news
Get the lowdown on
the former Liberal governments Zero Tolerance plans
Campaign Briefing
paper (HTML)
Zero Tolerance Fact Sheet(HTML)
Zero
Tolerance Fact Sheet(pdf version)
By sharing our knowledge we hope we will bring all drug law reform activists, Cannabis users and interested people closer together, united in a common goal of ending the prohibition of Marijuana.
Decriminalisation Isn't Fine!
Despite approximately 40% of adult Australians having tried Cannabis, State and Federal Governments, both Labor and Liberal, have continued to oppress, persecute and prosecute literally millions of Cannabis users.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians have received criminal records fines, for use, possesion and cultivation of one of the worlds most ubiquitous and useful plants, whilst thousands more are harrassed or busted every month in South Australia alone! !
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This is despite SA being the pioneer
in Australia While it was intended to de-penalise use, possession and small scale cultivation, the reality has been that it maintained the prohibition of the use, possession and cultivation of Cannabis. Many people think that in S.A.
Marijuana has been "decriminalised, or is legal Since the introduction of "on-the-spot" fines in 1987, however, four times as many people have been busted, per year! You _could_ grow up to ten plants and only get an "on-the-spot" fine.
A year later the Liberals (with the full support of the Labor party - shame, shame) have admitted this too hasn't worked and pushed through changes lowering the number of plants down to ONE! Zero Tolerance laws that would see growers of even one hydroponic plant face ten years JAIL or fines of up to $10,000 were also on the agenda What were they on!!?? See Latest
news for our
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Over 17,700 people were issued with an expiation notice in 1994, compared to less than 4,000 in 1987, yet the Police admit more people aren't smoking - they've just made busting you easier!
17,700 busts per year is almost 1,500 per month or 50 per DAY!
If you can't pay your fine (for whatever the reason) then you go to court.
If convicted, you will receive a criminal record.
In 1994 over 9,700 fines weren't expaieted and resulted in a permanent criminal conviction!
This is more than double the number compared to before "on-the-spot" fines were introduced!
Over 37,000 convictions have been recorded since the CEN system started!
Smoking in Public Isn't Fine!Smoking in a public place is still considered a criminal offence. If you get caught in your car, at the pub, or just walking down the street, you could end up in court ("on-the-spot" fines don't apply to public places) where you are 95% likely to end up with a conviction and a fine!
Possesion of implements is also illegal and can and does result in criminal convictions.
What's a Conviction Worth?Plenty! You may not think that a dope conviction is such a big deal, but your career is potentially on the line!
You won't be able to work in the Public Service or the Defence Forces, as a Nurse, Doctor, Teacher, Lawyer, or Police Officer.
Nor will you be able to travel to the USA, Japan and other countries.
HEMP have lobbying politicians for the repeal of all prior convictions associated with personal smoking, possession and cultivation.
It's Not Wrong to Bong (unless you're in SA!)
Owning or selling paraphenalia like pipes or bongs is legal in some states, but illegal in SA!
According to the government's own Social Impacts of the Cannabis Expiation Notice Scheme study nearly 40% of on-the-spot fines are for implements alone! This is a cruel farce!
Both the SA Legislative Council Report, the Criminal Justice Commission (QLD) and the Controlled Substances Advisory Council (yes, the SA Governments' own advisory body!) have recommended that possessing implements not be a crime, yet our Government has refused to act.
Safer use strategies are integral to our National Drug Strategy, yet harm minimisation is still not taken seriously by governments.
What About All those Government Reports?
The most recent government report is the Social Impacts of Cannabis Expiation Notice System that compares SA's laws with the total prohibition regime of WA. See our summary here.
The National Cannabis Taskforce Report is another recent and comprehensive Australian study of Marijuana.
The Australian Institute of Criminology's report Legislative Options for Cannabis strongly recommends Cannabis be legalised in a regulated manner, with homegrowing and coffee shop style distribution as well. This was echoed by the SA Legislative Council Select Committee in 1995 and followed on from similar recommedations by the SA Royal Commission in 1979.
The
politicians won't act though, until they can
translate community feelings into votes.
Cannabis users and
the community DO NOT want to return to the dark ages!
We do NOT want to BAN hydroponics and indoor growing
We will NOT continue to treat Cannabis users as criminals!
Prohibition is the Problem, Not the Solution!
We
need You!
Join
HEMP
Vote
Get Active
Educate Yourself
Donate
Spread the Word!
and Help End Marijuana Prohibition.
Find out more about HEMP SA's history
To Contact HEMP SA:
phone: 0439 800 891
e-mail: hempsa@gmail.com
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