Recreational cannabis use could be legal in Australia from next year, if a bold new bill proposed by the Green Party passes parliament.
Greens senator David Shoebridge has announced the progressive party’s push to legalize the drug in a controversial bill to be published for public consultation later this year, before reaching the full parliament for a vote next year. .
The Greens hope to put pressure on the Albanian government to pass the bill, which will allow cannabis to be legalized in Australia for personal use.
Sen. David Shoebridge, who has been the face of the party’s push to legalize the drug, said there was more danger in policing cannabis than using it, and that now was the time for legalization.
Australians will be able to grow and smoke their own cannabis by the end of next year under the Greens’ push to legalize the drug (file image)
The Greens hope to put pressure on the Albanian government to pass their bill in the federal parliament (pictured Greens leader Adam Bandt with partner Claudia Perkins)
“We have been told to wait for cannabis law reform for far too long, even when it is obvious that most of the damage caused is by policing and the war on drugs, not by the plant,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“Experts and government investigations continue to point out how the war on drugs is failing and how heavy-handed police and the criminal justice system are causing harm, without solving the problem.”
Shoebridge claimed that 40 per cent of Australians had smoked marijuana at some point in their life, and having a law making “40 per cent of Australians criminals” was “just ridiculous”.
According to government data from 2019, 36% of Australians over the age of 14 had used cannabis in their lifetime.
More than 40 percent support legalizing the drug for personal use, a figure that has doubled since 2013.
Although states have always said no to legalizing cannabis, Shoebridge said he had received advice from constitutional law showing that the federal government had the power to override states and legalize marijuana in Australia.
“When state governments are held captive by law-and-order agendas and relentlessly increasing police budgets despite the best evidence, it is time for the federal government to enforce sensible drug laws,” he added.
Greens senator David Shoebridge (pictured) claimed that “heavy-handed policing” around cannabis had caused more harm than the plant itself.
Support for marijuana legalization has doubled since 2013, with more than 40 per cent of Australians believing the drug should be legalized for personal use (woman smoking a joint pictured)
Since 2020, the ACT has allowed adults to possess up to 50g of dry cannabis or 150g of fresh cannabis.
It has also been legal for people to grow two plants per person and smoke them at home for personal use.
Scott Morrison’s coalition government did nothing to stop it.
Meanwhile, medical cannabis became legal in Australia in 2016.
260,000 medical cannabis scripts have been filled in the years since.
Roughly half of all prescriptions filled were written in Queensland, where a review is currently underway to examine whether patients should be exempt from drug driving prosecutions.
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 analyzes have found the use of High-potency cannabis was linked to an increased risk of addiction and psychosis.
The ACT has allowed adults to possess up to 50g of dried cannabis or 150g of fresh cannabis since 2020. It has also been 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 use cannabis products that are high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are more likely to develop conditions such as schizophrenia.
THC is the main psychoactive substance in cannabis, which means that it affects the functioning of the brain, influencing the mood, reactions, thoughts and emotions of the user.
The risk of developing a psychotic disorder was five times higher among those who used high-potency cannabis daily compared to those who never used it, according to a reviewed study.
The analysis also found an increased risk of addiction, or “cannabis use disorder,” among those who use high-THC products compared to users of milder forms of the drug.
A review of 20 studies involving nearly 120,000 people found that people who use high-THC cannabis products are more likely to develop conditions such as schizophrenia
One study indicated a four-fold increase in the likelihood of developing an addiction among users of cannabis with high THC content compared to those using products with lower concentrations.
The study is believed to be the first systematic review of available evidence on the link between cannabis potency 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 posed by high-THC cannabis, but they told the Pennsylvania News Agency that the link between heavy use of cannabis and the risk of addiction and psychosis was a “consistent”. finding’.
The researchers say the findings could be vital in informing drug policy as more countries move to legalize cannabis, because THC concentrations in certain products have increased in recent years.
