Policy Forum Pod

Australia’s illicit drug policies are complex and vary between states and territories. Despite recent pushes to decriminalise cannabis in the Australian Capital Territory or to minimise harm through pill-testing at festivals - both of which have been opposed by the federal government - attempts to regulate illicit drug use have mostly been pursued through prohibition.On this Policy Forum Pod, we talk to David Caldicott, Desmond Manderson, and Tracy Fenwick about why ‘zero tolerance’ policies are causing more harm than good, and how states and territories can act as policy laboratories to develop better solutions. They also discuss why the legalisation of cannabis always needs to go hand in hand with effective quality controls for marijuana crops.Pod presenters Paul Wyrwoll and Julia Ahrens also discuss the government’s new expert panel appointed to find ways to cut emissions and take a look at your comments, questions and suggestions for future episodes of Policy Forum Pod.Desmond Manderson is a Professor in