The debate around cannabis in Australia is already a farce, but today the Australian Prime Minister showed how out of touch he has become with the people who elected him, and he's told us in not so many words, that his government has no time for thinking about cannabis patients or cannabis policy.
In reply to a question from 3AW's Neil Mitchell if he's ever done weed, the Prime Minister said that he would "take the fifth".
Excluding the passing of any comment on the appropriateness of the PM to quip about using a right that is available to US citizens, and not Australians, I've listened to the full interview and transcribed the relevant bits about weed, below for readers:
NM: Do you support the legalisation of cannabis?
PM: Er, no, well that's a matter for the states.
NM: Well it is, but everybody down here is coming out and declaring whether they smoked weed, did you?
PM: That's a matter for the states, and that is not a federal issue.
NM: Oh, come on you went to University, you just told us about that. University in the seventies, are you telling me you didn't smoke dope.
PM: I'll, I'll take the fifth Neil. Arrh, you know, that is not the subject of any of our policy deliberations. I have a big job, I'm not looking to run state governments as well.
NM: Well, Thank you very much for your time.
Full interview available here.