Senior doctors and researchers will tell an annual parliamentary drug policy summit in Australia it is “time to be courageous” and remove all criminal penalties for drug possession. Criminologist Caitlin Hughes said there was “strong public support” for decriminalisation, which would save the public money without necessarily increasing drug use or crime. “Decriminalisation removes criminal penalties for use and possession by law or in practice. It does not provide a legal avenue to obtain drugs,” the University of New South Wales drug policy specialist said. (Drug decriminalisation helps minimise harm)