Australian Political Party Introduces Bill to Legalize Cannabis for Recreational Use

On June 20, 2023, the Legalise Cannabis Party (LCP) introduced the Regulation of Personal Adult Use of Cannabis Bill 2023 bill in the Australian states of Victoria, Western Australia (WA), and New South Wales (NSW) (1). The LCP–founded in 1993, named the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party in 2008, and renamed to LCP in 2021–introduced the bill as the first part of a planned three-stage process to legalize cannabis across Australia (1,2).

“This bill actions sensible and meaningful reform to end the criminalisation of people who consume cannabis,” said Rachel Payne, Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP. “It’s time our governments reformed outdated laws, in line with community expectations.”

The bill seeks to allow possession of small amounts of cannabis, grow up to six plants at home, and gift and share cannabis between adults and caregivers; it will not allow anyone to drive while impaired with cannabis or allow anyone under 18 to access cannabis (1,3).

“I look forward to debating this bill in the coming months, and to giving the people a real alternative to the failed and discredited war on drugs,” stated Dr. Brian Walker, the WA Legalise Cannabis MP and vice president of the federal party (1).

The party also claims the bill will undercut the current illegal cannabis market, which is estimated to be worth $8 million each year (1).

“Our framework for regulation focuses on responsible adult use, maintains protections for children and ensures better public health outcomes,” said Jeremy Buckingham, MP for NSW (1). “It’s time to take cannabis supply and quality control out of the hands of organised crime and make the needs of the community, patients and consumers a priority.”

References

1. Jones, S. Legalise Cannabis Party launches “modest and responsible” bill for personal use in three states https://www.cannabiz.com.au/legalise-cannabis-party-launches-modest-and-responsible-legalisation-bill-in-three-states/ (accessed Jun 27, 2023).
2. Schultz, A. From Bong to ballot: The rise of the legalise cannabis party https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/from-bong-to-ballot-the-rise-of-the-legalise-cannabis-party-20230330-p5cwqe.html (accessed Jun 27, 2023).
3. Ore, A. Legalise cannabis makes United push for personal marijuana use in three Australian states https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/20/legalise-cannabis-bill-push-personal-use-victoria-nsw-western-australian (accessed Jun 27, 2023).