The petition, tabled in State Parliament, had argued that drug laws penalised consumers more than drug traffickers, and caught out patients and carers seeking access to marijuana for medicinal purposes. It called for an immediate moratorium on arrests for personal use.

But, in response, Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said the laws were in place for a reason, as unfettered access to drugs came with health risks and could undermine the system.

The only sign of possible law reform relates to the government’s response to a Queensland Productivity Commission report on imprisonment and recidivism, and whether there should be options other than jail for some offences.

“The Queensland Government agreed with the QPC that there was value in examining whether the state’s criminal law is best positioned to deliver on the objectives of increased community safety and the upholding of community standards,” Fentiman said.

“The Government committed to exploring opportunities to increase the capacity of the criminal justice system to provide a broader range of available responses to low-harm offending and that the system concentrates the resources of courts and prisons on the most serious matters.”

The government’s response to that report was separate, and preceded, its crackdown on youth crime.

Queensland already has diversionary programs, and a Drug and Alcohol Court, while medicinal cannabis is largely regulated by the Commonwealth.

“Recreational or unregulated cannabis products are not overseen by a doctor and they remain outside of the treatment plan, there may be potentially dangerous drug interactions that are not known to either the doctor or patient,” Fentiman said.

“Using recreational or unregulated cannabis does not guarantee that these products are safe and effective for patients to use.”