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H RV I C C A LL S O N
TH E V I C TO R I A N
G OV E R N M E NT TO:

•L EG A L I S E C A N N A B I S FO R 6
S MAL L-S C AL E HO M E
C U LT I VAT I O N , CO N S U M P T I O N
A N D S U P P LY;

•CO MMISS I O N R E S E A RC H WI TH
A FOC U S O N S OC IAL , C RI M I NAL ,
H E A LT H A N D ECO N O M I C
O U TCO ME S O F TH IS P O LI C Y
S H IF T.

6 . A SS E SS IN G

PR AC TI CE S O F OTHE R
through their famous coffee shops. Jamaica has also legalised home AUS TR ALIAN S TATE S
cultivation and consumption, and the Italian parliament is debating
whether to do the same. The new Canadian Government plans to roll AND TE RRITO RIE S
out legal cannabis in 2017. AND OVE R S E A S

In the home of the modern drug war, the USA, four states have J U RI S DI C TI O N S AND
ballot initiatives this November that could see them join the four states
that already have legal cannabis markets. Colorado recently reported THE IR
on their first two years of legal cannabis. Rates of violence and APPROACH TO D RUG
property crime have fallen, as have prescription drug dependence,
impaired driving detections and road fatalities. The courts are no longer L AW
tied up with cases relating to cannabis and teen use is stable. With RE FO RM AND
millions in revenue being directed into new schools and health
programs, the sky has certainly not fallen in. H OW OTHE R
P OS ITIV E
In Australia, there is a long way to go for recreational cannabis but the
swift response to implement medical cannabis in Australia offers some RE FO RM S COU LD B E
hope. The fact that these reforms have been quite restrictive in terms ADO P TE D TO
of who can get access and in what form serve as a reminder that those
of us who use cannabis need to be involved in the discussions about VI C TO RIAN L AW.
how we can do so legally. As a regular consumer of cannabis, one of the
most interesting things in the recreational markets in the USA is how
popular edible and vaporising products are. They are not without risks,
particularly from accidental ingestion, but this is a great way to reduce
the harms from smoking.

S O H OW D O WE LEG A LI S E C A N N A B I S? Legalise

This is a question that we cannot answer yet, but it is the right question
to ask. We need to move beyond questions of whether we should or
shouldn’t legalise and start thinking about how. What kind of laws and Cannabis
regulations are best suited for Australia? What best serves the needs
of cannabis consumers while still addressing community concerns? We
need to figure out what we want, and then fight tooth-and-nail for it
until we get there.

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