Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Drug harm reduction

Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:26): (872) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health. The inquiry into the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Regulation of Personal Adult Use of Cannabis) Bill 2023 highlighted how drug-checking services help people better understand the potency, composition and possible contaminants of their cannabis. Accordingly, recommendation 6 of the inquiry is:

That the Victorian Government investigate opportunities to improve access to plant matter testing, including through integration into its fixed site drug testing service.

The Victorian government is set to open a fixed-site drug-testing service in inner Melbourne sometime in mid 2025. My question is: will the minister investigate integrating plant matter testing into the fixed-site drug-testing service?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:26): I thank Ms Payne for her question. From the outset I want to just acknowledge the work of the Legal and Social Issues Committee and the very thoughtful report that they have tabled and note that of course the government is considering the recommendations and will provide a response in due course. What I can say is that obviously one of the key pillars of our pill-testing system is giving people the information and the facts that they are asking for so that they can make informed decisions and choices. That is clearly about saving lives and changing people’s behaviour by giving them access to a health-led response and information. As I understand it, the advice I have been given is that the testing of plant matter is not a simple issue; it is a bit complicated. Currently there is no drug-checking service in Australia that has the capacity to test organic matter such as cannabis, but I will continue to seek advice from my department about the viability of plant matter testing as part of our drug-checking efforts.

Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:28): I thank the minister for her response. By way of supplementary, can the minister provide an update on the status of the rollout of the fixed-site drug-testing service and whether it is on track to open in mid 2025.

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:28): I thank Ms Payne for her supplementary question, and I note there is a lot of interest in the fixed site, which is understandable. I can confirm that my department is working closely and hard on identifying a suitable site. We will have more to say very soon.