19th of June 2024, 5:30am | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Petition triggers cannabis debate in the Victorian Upper House
Victorians have strongly backed moves by the Legalise Cannabis Party to reform cannabis laws. In just three days, almost 3,000 people signed a petition calling on the Victorian Government to legalise personal cannabis use.
Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne said tabling the 2,785 signatures in parliament had triggered a debate around legalising cannabis for Wednesday. The Health Minister is then required to within a month.
“The people of Victoria have spoken. They want the law changed so there is no fear of persecution for possessing and consuming cannabis,” Ms Payne said.
“People literally queued to sign our petition at three Melbourne events. This eagerness reflects the view of the community. The 2024 AIHW National Drug Strategy Household survey showed support for the decriminalisation was at an all-time high of 80%.”
ACT experience with legal personal cannabis use
Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank said the law was changed in the ACT in 2020. The change allowed for the possession of up to 50grams of cannabis and the cultivation two plants per adult household member.
“What happened next? Cannabis use remained unchanged in the following years,” Mr Ettershank said. “There has been no increase in drug driving offences and simple cannabis offences dropped by 90 per cent.
“Victorian politicians need to grow a backbone and do what the people want. 40 per cent of Victorians have consumed cannabis. Prohibition has failed.”
Key facts
- Current laws are ‘criminalising’ young, First Nations, LGBTIQ+ communities, low income, and culturally diverse people. They are all over-represented in cannabis-related arrests.
- Australia has arrested more than 700,000 people for cannabis-related offences since 2010. More than 90 per cent of those arrests were for possessing or consuming. The most likely age group to use cannabis is the 18- to 24-year-olds and an arrest can hurt a young person’s access to employment, travel and housing.
- First Nations people were eight times more likely to be arrested for possession of cannabis than non-Indigenous people, and 50 per cent less likely to receive a caution.
- Cannabis is widely used and its profitability enables organised crime to generate significant income to fund the importation of other drugs and invest in other criminal activities. Legalising cannabis would block of the cash stream to organised crime.
- Legalising and regulating cannabis would enable government to direct funds into consumer health information and product safeguards.
- Canada, Germany, Malta, South Africa, 24 US states, Thailand and other jurisdictions around the world have moved to legalise personal cannabis use.
Petition seeks action
The petition reads: “Petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that the criminalisation of cannabis has failed to reduce demand or supply in the illicit market and the 1 in 3 Australians who have accessed cannabis should not be classed as criminals. Cannabis criminalisation harms the community, wastes millions of dollars on law enforcement, disproportionately impacts First Nations people and prevents us from enjoying the economic and social benefits of a regulated cannabis market. The Petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to change the laws so that Victorian adults can responsibly consume and possess small quantities of cannabis without fear of persecution.”
David Ettershank MP & Rachel Payne MP
Legalise Cannabis Victoria
[ENDS]
