This small report on Australia’s ABC public broadcasting website may well be one of the more encouraging pieces of news around cannabis in 2020 from Australia. A shift of thought in the Liberal party. Who’d have thought it ?
*A note for our US readers.. The Liberal Party is your Republican Party or probably closer in political thought to the UK Tory Party – See here for further clarification
A survey last week in the US revealed that the, yet again delayed MORE act, is now supported by 59 percent of Americans, including 53 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Democrats who now support the legislation that would federally de-schedule cannabis and promote social equity.
In Australia those on the right of politics have declared publicly over the years, that cannabis is a law and order issue and should, especially with regard to adult use, be opposed at all costs.
So … it is a pleasant surprise to see a small shift in attitude in the ACT which under a labor party legislature recently brought in a fact based and non commercial approach to cannabis regulation for personal use ( + some kafkaesque rules too!)
See some of our stories on the subject over the past year
Australia: ACT Hits Back At UN Comments Re Cannabis Legalization. UN Demands of Australia That Letter Of The Law Be Obeyed
Australia – ACT Cannabis Laws: There’s a haze of criminality around the realities of the new legislation
Australia: ACT Govt To Undertake Health Information Programme About Cannabis
Australia: ACT’s Well Meaning But Ultimately Kafkaesque Laws Means Black Market Will Continue To Flourish
The ABC is now reporting that The ACT Liberals are saying….
The Canberra Liberals say overturning controversial laws legalising cannabis in the ACT will not be a priority should they win the election, despite spending years criticising the laws.
A bill legalising cannabis possession and use passed the ACT Legislative Assembly roughly a year ago, and the laws took effect early this year.
After the bills passed, Shadow Attorney-General Jeremy Hanson told ABC Canberra they would be repealed if his party ever got the opportunity…..”We’d rescind [the bill], absolutely” he said……“It’s a bad law, we had a very good regime, it was working effectively.”
In a statement today, a Canberra Liberals spokeswoman said the issue would not be a priority for an incoming Liberal government.
“These are not priorities,” she said.
Before we get too excited let’s remember this is only the ACT party and not the ruling Federal Govt speak, but, as they say, from small acorns……
