Today the Greens are delivering the results of the extensive public consultation on the first ever bill to legalise adult use of recreational cannabis across Australia.
A total of 8,916 individual responses on our survey were received and we received 38 detailed submissions in response to our consultation paper. This is in addition to thousands of calls, social media messages and real life conversations.
The results show an extremely strong level of support for legalising cannabis with a single national cannabis market that allows for home grow and prioritises co-ops and small business involvement. Respondents told us they don’t want an overly corporatised scheme and how it is important to ensure any tax rate doesn’t force up prices and drive people back into the illicit market.
The bill delivers on this, with a “grassroots” market that also creates $28 billion in anticipated public revenue in the first 9 years of operation.
The consultation has led to a significant number of improvements to the final bill which will make a gold standard scheme for all Australians.
- Quality and labelling to set out labelling requirements for cannabis and cannabis products including safety and dosage information, strength and chemical composition
- Penalties – we will amend the bill to provide a clear requirement for serious or repeated breaches of licence conditions to result in serious consequences for the licence holder – not just employees.
- Home grow and production – we will amend the bill to explicitly allow people to make products like brownies or gummies at home for personal use, we will also explicitly require that grow at home cannabis not be accessible to the public.
- Young people – we’ll add a new requirement to store cannabis where it’s not readily available to minors and give the regulator the capacity to impose other safe storage if needed like child safe containers for edibles for example.
- Advertising – we will make clear that the ban on advertising won’t stop cafes and dispensaries from point of sale advertising or having an authorised online presence.
Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
“Using the collective wisdom of almost ten thousand respondents we know the Greens will be tabling the most popular and effective bill possible to legalise cannabis for the whole country.
“We have made improvements around labelling, storage, manufacture, advertising, penalties and more as a result of this consultation process.
“It’s not enough to just decriminalise cannabis, the community is demanding a comprehensive plan for legalisation that will provide safe access to cannabis and cannabis products, end over policing and draw people away from the illicit market.
“From what we’ve heard in this consultation I believe this model, with these improvements that people have asked for, provides the right plan to create a single, legal national cannabis market.
“There is an extraordinary level of excitement and engagement with this plan, and people are on standby to speak with their local MPs around the country to push for this to become law.
“With political courage and public support we can make this law,” Senator Shoebridge said.
Read the report: Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023 (PDF)
