The leaders of three Australian states – Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia – simultaneously introduced bills on June 20 to promote the regulation of recreational cannabis.
Cannabis remains illegal under federal law in Australia, although a growing number of cities and states have legalized its recreational use.
Rachel Payne MP for Victoria State, Jeremy Buckingham MP for New South Wales State, and Brian Walker MP for Western Australia State have tabled a three-part bill in their respective parliaments that would end to the prohibition of cannabis in these states.
The adult personal use regulation of the Cannabis Act 2023 would allow someone who is legally in possession of cannabis to offer it to another adult. It would allow access only to people aged 18 and over and would not change the offense of selling cannabis.
The proposed legislation would allow small quantities of cannabis to be owned and grown at home, similar to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Act which came into effect in 2020.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly passed historic measures, paving the way for the possession and cultivation of cannabis by people aged 18 and over from 31 January 2020. The ACT was the first state or territory in the country to legalize recreational cannabis and plans to further decriminalize the drugs.
Reaction of Legalize Cannabis MPs
Several lawmakers from the Legalize Cannabis party welcomed the bill’s announcement and said they were simply doing what their constituents wanted.
David Ettershank, MP for the state of Victoria, told ABC Radio Melbourne that Australians agree it is time to reform cannabis laws. “The majority of Victorians support cannabis regulation and a large number of them use cannabis on a regular basis,” he said.
Jeremy Buckingham, Legalize Cannabis Party NSW MP and former Green MP, said it was the first coordinated attempt to legalize cannabis in the country.
“The bill will allow up to six plants to be grown, that cannabis given and shared, and the seeds traded,” Buckingham said.
“The Greens and Liberal Democrats already support our initiative… and now is the time for Labor to act in WA, Victoria, NSW and nationally,” he added.
Rachel Payne, MP for Legalize Cannabis Victoria, said the bill would put state governments “on the right side of history when it comes to cannabis law reform”.
(Deal news 04/07/2023)
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