Three strikes: NSW falls behind rest of nation as Queensland reforms drug possession laws

Doctors, police and drug reform advocates are welcoming reforms, passed on Thursday night, that will see Queensland take a more progressive approach to policing the personal consumption of illegal drugs.

Under the three strikes approach, Queensland police will be required to give a warning to a person caught for the first time possessing a small amount of any illicit drug, such as ice and heroin.

On their second and third strike, police must offer that person the chance to partake in a mandatory drug diversion assessment program.

NSW police have some discretion to give cautions when it comes to cannabis, along with other drugs possessed by children, but not for other illicit drugs.

All other states except NSW offer police the discretion to send a person to a diversion program rather than court for at least their first strike of minor possession of such drugs, but Queensland would become the first to make a three strikes approach mandatory.

Ritter said NSW now had the least progressive drug policy in the country, demonstrating a failure to adopt evidence-based reforms.

Every state and territory in Australia has a form of decriminalisation of cannabis, with South Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT having decriminalised it formally through law.

On Thursday, the NSW premier, Chris Minns said issues like cannabis and drug driving laws would be discussed at the planned state drug summit, but major changes in this term of parliament were unlikely.

Despite previously being in favour of decriminalising cannabis, Minns has since taken a more conservative stance.

Ritter said NSW should remove criminal penalties for people who are found to possess drugs for their own use.