2022-09-26
26 September 2022
The Australian Greens are moving ahead with the first national plan to legalise cannabis.
Senator David Shoebridge, on behalf of the Greens, has obtained compelling constitutional law advice that provides a path for Federal Parliament to legalise cannabis for adult use across the country.
The great news for the millions of Australians who have been waiting for this moment is that with a single law of the Commonwealth Parliament we can legalise and regulate cannabis supply across the whole country.
Most young people understand that when it comes to cannabis, the bulk of the harm they and their friends suffer is a result of aggressive policing and the criminal justice system, not from smoking a joint.
This is the first time an attempt will be made to legalise cannabis through the Federal Parliament. The Greens are in the process of drafting a simple, effective and comprehensive legalise cannabis law that will be available for public consultation later this year.
Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
“We’ve been told to wait for cannabis law reform for too long, even when it’s obvious that the majority of harm caused is by policing and the war on drugs, not the plant.
“Recreational cannabis is enjoyed by millions in Australia and around the world, and pretending otherwise is increasingly ridiculous.
“At least 40% of Australians have used cannabis and any law that makes almost half of us criminals needs to go.
“Experts and Government inquiries keep pointing out how the war on drugs is failing and how heavy handed policing and the criminal justice system is causing harm, not fixing the problem.
“People are looking for justice and legal cannabis delivers this. It’s plain wrong that young people are being dragged to court for what should be a personal choice about cannabis use.
“At a state level, police forces have a serious conflict of interest when it comes to cannabis, they expand their powers and their budgets by supporting broken drug laws.
“When State Governments are captive to law and order agendas and endlessly increasing police budgets despite all the best evidence, it’s time for the Federal Government to enforce sensible drug laws.
“When it comes to sensible laws on cannabis the police are part of the problem. This is really frustrating because making weed illegal hands the market, and billions in profits, over to organised crime.
“Our plan cuts off a major source of funding for organised crime, and creates a unique opportunity to have licensing fees and taxation going back into public coffers.
“While the US and Canada have thousands of cannabis entrepreneurs and a safer, more relaxed cannabis market, here we have sniffer dogs, random drug testing and long prison sentences.
“At the last election thousands of you asked us to get this done, and this is the first step.
“We’ll be moving ahead on these laws to make it possible for a person to grow a few plants for personal use, or buy a joint or a brownie from a licensed seller. It’s possible, achievable and we’re super ready to get it done!”