In order to ameliorate the situation of inconsiderate, aggressive and anti-community behaviour that currently exists on the Nimbin streets, a strategy that addresses all the offending issues and recommends appropriate actions that deal with these issues must be developed. Included in this strategy, a way of addressing the illicit and unregulated sale of cannabis must be developed. Nimbin Cannabis Cafes Proposal, a check list of conditions: This list is intended as a means of monitoring and covering the many aspects of the cann-caf proposal that will need to be considered initially and prior to its way through to the preparation of the final proposal. This list is pretty much off the top of my head and is not claiming to be a definitive check list any way. If you would like to add to list and/or e-mail comments, additions etc to: bobkins@hotmail.com I’ll undertake to modify the list, list comments, objections, and suggestions, and refer this back to all interested. (Please indicate e-mail or snail mail address if you’d like to remain up to date with progress of this list.) Thank you, The Check List Who oversees approval and admin of cafes? An overseeing committee working as adjunct of council/state/federal agency or an independent locally administered function (particularly for trial period that would help self-fund the process) with observers only from agencies or combination of both Local composition of committee: from which organizations (if this is considered an appropriate method of representation) or how chosen eg voted upon, nominations, (Number on committee and executive positions Scope and limitations of their role) Responsible directly to whom? And in what form? Accountable to whom and how accountability is to be worked e.g. reports to community via news-media/regular public meetings etc Relationship with cafes and who facilitates and services ongoing rel’ship. Under what form conditions and requirements of sale to be enforced as to who and by who. Collect information of base data for on going analysis in relationship with e.g. SCU. handle and deal with complaints from public and to make decisions in regard these complaints. Deal with and be necessary arbiter / approver for any application for a transfer of licence Cafes: How many establishments and what criteria for selection? Length of trial? Duration of café licence and conditions of licence detailing breach of agreement and consequences of such including disqualification of licence where appropriate. Also include appeal process for café in such situations. Smoking inside or outside with regard to state govt smoking in public places regulations; Pipes, bongs and condensers supplied? Will cannabis be served in foodstuffs: would probably require specific health warnings and safe use info as well as normal safe-use info. Facility/process
for community members to register complaints about behaviour problems, breaches of
operating conditions etc. Role/responsibilities of café proprietors: No advertising of cannabis use publicly at exterior of cafes? Age limit of patrons? No hard drugs/alcohol. Maintaining good ambience and conditions consistent with the keeping of orderly house. Health and harm-reduction educational material at point of sale. Responsibility to patrons esp. if intoxicated, or having medical reaction, disorientation, confusion etc. First aid and health facilities for patrons and training (?) in drug overdose and other emergency(resuscitation, CPR) response for café workers. Payment of tax/records of sales kept for recording data info and analysis. What activities could result in being disqualified from continuing as cann-café? Cannabis for sale: Who supplies pot to the cafes?: Nimbin-based growers co-op or individual agreements between grower and café Nimbin only cannabis for sale in cafes? What quantities for sale in cafes, in other venues (e.g. growers co-op or medicinal healing centre outlets; other). Options- smoking quantities only (1-3gram) or larger quantities (5 g upward to bulk amounts) as well. Tax- what percentage of sale price, who paid to and administered, on what issues/schemes/projects would the money be eligible to be used, paid as provisional tax or on actual sales? Protection for authorised growers ie registered local growers only Protection for purchasers e.g. heat sealed tax marked bags which if unopened from point of sale and before reaching home incurs no penalty (including seizure of pot). This can be used as measure of reward for responsible use especially as regards driving under influence of cannabis (would need active agreement of NSW and Qld police) Agreement with local authorised cannabis suppliers to not supply for illicit sale on Nimbin streets at risk of losing co-op/grower status. Grading of products, criteria and price per grade Educational information for purchasers and visitors to Nimbin: At point of sale for all purchasers and with all purchases Health warnings at point of sale prominent in and outside point of sale. Signage at extremities of village indicating situation re cannabis sales Information to tourists (pamphlets, signage)stressing intent to reform inconsiderate street behaviour and implied responsibility to provide proactive community response to drug use and including: 1. Requests that visitors to town not to buy off street dealers 2. Report street dealing and offers made re illicitdealing 3. Public info on how the tax money to be disbursed Information re trials and rationale distributed outside Nimbin and included on tourist info including harm minimisation re cannabis info taxation component: % of sales price that constitutes tax? Who collects tax income from sales? Who administers income from sales tax? What conditions would apply re record-keeping, details of sale? How is the money to be dispersed and on what areas of expenditure eg rehab facilities, drug education, local infrastructure support, etc? Is any of this to be regularly designated % expenditure e.g. drug education. Who can access/benefit from taxable income and how can one apply for grants etc. Criteria. Street Behaviour: Increase cooperation with police and other agencies How to address continuing offensive/inconsiderate street behaviours Involve police more with community members to cut out illicit street trade as compared with cann-café licit trade What practices and strategies to be encouraged and initiated to deal with ongoing problems on street Involvement of Jungle Patrol on street re behaviours: this service could be supported from taxable income from trial Encourage full and active cooperation of community members and groups in success of trial Can the combined power of cafes be used to: 1. Get
rid of street trade in drugs (by pricing dealers out of game) Monitoring of trial: Data collection to monitor progress of trial including, for example, use by age statistics, safe use practices with drug use esp driving, health reasons determining cannabis use, problems and crisis calls, maintaining habit, etc (please consider/add information that you would like to see collected) Details of amount of sales, income, amounts, grower’s feedback In association with police re their data on local offences, traffic breaches, past comparable data, and their info on local illicit trade movements at current; and the local schools re retention and absentee rates, movement in enrolments and drug offences within the school.. Support for trial (local): Stage 1- Educational sector: putting out all information re proposals, rationale for trial, etc out into the Nimbin community Stage 2- Community consultation re refining comment and proposal and support gathering Would need to determine what degree of support locally at end of education/consultative period to ascertain if community support is such that it provides consensus for trial to take place. We would need to decide what device would be used (eg feedback from public meetings, community referendum etc) to ascertain and quantify if broad community support exists. Support for trial (extra-local): Networking with authorities (state, federal, local government), agencies, groups, community services,education department etc for feedback. Political approaches and networking Police support and cooperation, both in NSW and Qld, should be sought. |