CBD in Australia

Australia: The Greens party intends to introduce a bill to legalise recreational cannabis, press reports. The party is currently drafting the bill, which it expects to introduce before the end of the year. Though the Greens have just four seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives and 12 in the 76-seat Senate, the bill is expected to have the support of other parties.

Australia: Members of Western Australia’s state parliament are planning to introduce a bill to allow possession of up to 50 g of cannabis and the growing of up to four plants at home, press reports. Brian Walker and Sophia Moermond of the Legalise Cannabis WA party are working on a draft that could be made public in the next three months. It would then be subject to public consultation and possible revision. They expect the revised version of the bill to be introduced in the upper house, the Legislative Council, in the second half of 2023. Walker expects public support for the bill, but said it may face a difficult passage since the state government has already said it has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Australia: The pressure group Legalise Cannabis WA is urging state regulation to allow possession of up to 50 g of dried cannabis and the growing of up to four plants per household for recreational use, press reports. However, Western Australia’s premier Mark McGowan responded: “Having freely available cannabis is not our policy.” He said the Labor Party would use its control of both state houses to block a bill if it is put forward.

Australia: The New South Wales Legislative Council is conducting an inquiry into a bill introduced by the Greens to allow medical cannabis patients to drive, press reports. Council member Cate Faehrmann, who introduced the bill, tweeted: “Our driving laws need to change. Medicinal cannabis is legal but patients are still charged for driving with the mere presence of THC in their system even if they are not impaired.” The state government’s position is unlikely to change, however, as they claim that “there is evidence that medicinal THC users can be impaired for a period of time”. The results of the inquiry will be presented to the Legislative Council in early August.

Australia: In a change of government, following the weekend’s federal election, Anthony Albanese is Australia’s new prime minister. His Labor Party now has 75 out of 151 seats in the House of Representatives and 26 out of 76 in the Senate. The party, which has historically been supportive of medical cannabis, said in its election manifesto: “Labor supports the use of medical cannabis regulated at the federal level, but considers the legalisation of recreational cannabis as a matter for state and territory jurisdictions.” The Legalise Cannabis party achieved remarkable success in the Senate election, with between 2% and 7% of the vote in most states and the Northern Territory amid a reported “surge in cannabis consumption in Australia”.