LEGALISE IT

The Australian public has been clear, they’re ready to relax the cannabis laws and we’re listening!

We’ve been working hard to get the Victorian Government on board with cannabis law reform – and we’ve made progress.

Now, it’s time for action!

Help us by:

Writing to the Premier (you can even use our template!)

Writing to your local member

Sharing our message on social media

Talking to your friends and families about the harms of criminalisation

Once and for all, we must stop the criminalisation of cannabis consumers. We need to reduce harm, reduce stigma and reduce costs.

In 2023, we introduced the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Regulation of Personal Adult Use of Cannabis) Bill. Our Bill will:

Allow adult personal possession of small quantities of cannabis;

Allow adults to grow up to six cannabis plants at home;

Allow adult consumption of cannabis (not in a public place);

Allow adults to gift a small quantity of cannabis; and

Prevent children under the age of 18 from accessing cannabis

At the time we debated our Bill, the Victorian Government did not offer their support but did leave the door open to ongoing discussions with us, experts and the community.

Following this, our Bill was reviewed by a parliamentary committee. They met with stakeholders, listened to expert advice and reviewed the ACT’s positive experience with decriminalisation.

The final report made a number of recommendations and findings in their final report. You can read the final report in full here. Recommendation 1 of this inquiry was clear – it is time to change the laws.

Recommendation 1

That the Victorian Government:

draw on the experience of the ACT, in successfully decriminalising the cultivation and possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use with its associated health, social and legal benefits, and

consider adopting an approach in line with that proposed by the Bill, along with any amendments recommended in this Report.

Any cannabis law reform legislation should be progressed as a Government Bill, rather than a Private Member’s Bill, to ensure all issues are fully considered by the normal government processes.

Other recommendations included:

The consideration of an expungement scheme;

An investigation into improving access to plant matter testing;

If the Bill is passed, a review of the eligibility requirements for under 18s accessing drug diversion programs.

Amending the Bill to include a five-year statutory review;

Amending the Bill to protect children from accessing cannabis; and

Amending the Bill to prevent any cultivation of cannabis using hydroponic techniques or equipment.

The Victorian Government has until September 2025 to respond.

Now more than ever, they need to hear from you.

The simple answer is – it’s time.

Prohibiting cannabis use has failed miserably. Despite decades of prohibition, anyone can get their hands on illicit cannabis. Criminals are raking in billions of dollars while our governments spend tens of millions enforcing prohibition – money which could be invested in harm reduction.

Cannabis is extremely popular amongst Australians and is enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Maybe the better question is why was it made illegal in the first place?

A lot actually.

It is the most commonly used illicit drug in Australia and the third most commonly used drug after alcohol and tobacco.

According to the most recent government health survey, conservatively, 8 million adults have used cannabis at least once and more than 11% of Australians use it regularly. About 2.4 million Australians regularly use cannabis today.

It’s quite similar to the model in the ACT but with a few differences.

The ACT doesn’t allow for people to share with friends and people they care for. This means that anyone who consumes cannabis and can’t grow at home has to interact with the illicit market.

It’s impossible to legally obtain seeds in the ACT. Under our Bill they can be shared.

The ACT only allows two plants to be grown at home and they must be grown outside. We believe that growing six plants is more realistic. We also don’t restrict growing to outside because for many living in apartments or colder climates, that simply isn’t an option.

It would significantly reduce the burden on the criminal justice system.

In 2020-21 nearly 60,000 cannabis users were arrested in Australia!

About a third of all charges heard in the Magistrates Court are for the possession of a drug. Cannabis accounts for nearly half of these charges.

In 2020–21, cannabis accounted for 52% of all national drug seizures.

In 2019-20, nearly half of all drug-related arrests (47 per cent) were for cannabis.

Regulating the personal use of cannabis allows law enforcement the resources to focus on real issues.

As we said, cannabis is very popular in Australia with over 2.4 million people regularly consuming it.

It is estimated that Australians spend about $14 billion dollars a year on cannabis. That money goes into the hands of criminals.

Allowing adults to grow their own and share with friends and those they care for, will definitely make a big dent in the illegal market.

Yes! 78% of Australians believe that cannabis use and possession should not be a crime.

This number grows every year. Australians increasingly understand the benefits of law reform and recognise that current policies are not effective at reducing harm.

The ACT found that after changing their laws there was no increase in road accidents involving cannabis use.

We continue to advocate for changes to the roadside drug testing regime, so that testing focuses on impairment and does not unfairly target people who consume cannabis.

This bill will not change the law in relation to cannabis and driving.

This is an important question and one lots of people are concerned about.

In the ACT following decriminalisation there was no substantive increase in cannabis use and no increase in cannabis related hospital and ambulance presentations.

When cannabis is not illegal people can be honest about their use, risks of contamination are lower and we can invest in harm reduction measures like education. This will mean better health outcomes for millions of Australians.