Recreational cannabis use could be legal in Australia as early as next year, if a bold new bill proposed by the Green Party is passed by Parliament.
Greens senator David Shoebridge announced the progressive party’s drive to legalize the drug in a controversial bill that will be released for public consultation later this year – before it goes to parliament for a vote sometime next year.
The Greens hope to pressure the Albanian government to pass the law legalizing cannabis for personal use in Australia.
Senator David Shoebridge, who has been the face of the party’s drive to legalize the drug, said there was more danger to the police around cannabis than its use, and now was the time for legalization.
Australians will be able to grow and smoke their own cannabis by the end of next year, under pressure from the Greens to legalize the drug (stock image)
The Greens hope to put pressure on the Albanian government to get their bill through the federal parliament (photo, Greens leader Adam Bandt with partner Claudia Perkins)
“We have been told that we will have to wait too long for cannabis law reform, even when it is clear that most of the damage is being caused by the police and the war on drugs, not the plant,” he said. The Daily Telegraph.
“Experts and government investigations continue to point to how the war on drugs is failing and how heavy-handed policing and the criminal justice system are harming rather than solving the problem.”
Mr Shoebridge claimed that 40 per cent of Australians had smoked marijuana at some point in their lives, and that having a law in place making ’40 per cent of Australians criminals’ was ‘downright ridiculous’.
According to 2019 government data, 36 percent of Australians aged 14 and over had used cannabis in their lifetime.
More than 40 percent support legalizing the drug for personal use, a figure that has doubled since 2013.
While states have consistently said no to legalizing cannabis, Mr Shoebridge said he had received constitutional advice proving that the federal government had the power to abolish the states and legalize marijuana in Australia.
“When state governments are trapped in law and order agendas and endlessly increase police budgets despite all the best evidence, it is time for the federal government to enforce sensible drug laws,” he added.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge (pictured) claimed the ‘heavy policing’ around cannabis had done more damage than the plant itself
Support for marijuana legalization has doubled since 2013, with more than 40 percent of Australians saying the drug should be legalized for personal use (pictured, woman smoking a joint)
As of 2020, the ACT allows adults to possess up to 50g of dried or 150g of fresh cannabis.
Poll
Should cannabis be legalized across Australia?
Yes, it is less dangerous than alcohol 94 votes
No, it is a drug and should not be legalized 99 votes
It is also legal for people to grow two plants per person and smoke them at home for personal use.
The coalition government under Scott Morrison did nothing to stop it.
Meanwhile, medical cannabis was legalized in Australia in 2016.
In the following years, 260,000 scripts were completed for medicinal cannabis.
About half of all prescriptions issued have been issued in Queensland, where patients are currently being investigated for exemption from drug driving.
Medical cannabis has been used to treat chronic pain and reduce inflammation. It can also be used for anxiety, epilepsy, and cancer-related symptoms.
But despite the reported health benefits, there are concerns about the drug’s effects on mental illness.
Recent analysis has found the use of high-strength cannabis was associated with a greater risk of addiction and psychosis.
The ACT allows adults to possess up to 50g of dried or 150g of fresh cannabis since 2020. It is also legal for people to grow two plants per person and smoke them at home for personal use (stock image)
A review of 20 studies involving nearly 120,000 people found that people who consume cannabis products high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are more likely to develop conditions such as schizophrenia.
THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, which means that it affects how the brain works and thus the mood, reactions, thoughts and emotions of the user.
According to a reviewed study, the risk of developing a psychotic disorder was five times higher in those who use potent cannabis on a daily basis compared to those who never use it.
The analysis also found an increased risk of addiction, or “cannabis use disorder,” in those using products high in THC compared to users of milder forms of the drug.
A review of 20 studies involving nearly 120,000 people found that people who consume high-THC cannabis products are more likely to develop conditions such as schizophrenia
One study found that users of cannabis with a high THC content were four times more likely to develop an addiction than users of products with lower concentrations.
The study is considered the first systematic review of the available evidence on the association between cannabis strength and mental health problems and addiction.
The studies varied in size, scope and design, so the report’s authors were unable to quantify the risk of high-THC cannabis, but they told the PA news agency that the association between heavy cannabis use and the risk of addiction and psychosis a ‘consistent finding’.
Researchers say the findings could be vital in informing drug policy as more countries legalize cannabis, as concentrations of THC in certain products have risen in recent years.