Ms Ruby Lawlor:

Yes, that is my view. When looking at actually having impacts for the young people in the disadvantaged communities, decriminalisation will have a certain influence but will not remove the illicit drug trades from which people are still sourcing their drugs. Those trades need people to be involved in them, and often it is the children who are coerced and manipulated into these criminal gangs. It is therefore definitely not enough to decriminalise for those most disadvantaged. It will in a way leave some of those most disadvantaged a little behind. It will do net good to decriminalise, but how do we actually protect the young people in these places and make sure they are not brought into the drug trades?