By Loren W
Melbourne
12 September 2020
On 31 Jan 2020 ACT Australia legalised Cannabis for recreational use for the first time – The Federal Government chose NOT to override it. The issue in 2020 is still NOT Government override, it is getting a passable bill by 51% in ANY Australia state or territory. This is what they did in ACT in 2019-2020 and every other state since 2016 when Cannabis was first legalised in Victoria.
Regardless of possible veto rights, Australia Cannabis law reform is 100% a state issue. Just ask them or look for yourself, every time they are asked. Then they remind us on video, TV and in print since 2016. – Here they are saying it themselves for those that cannot find the stories and the link is below –
“”If states wish to decriminalise cannabis, then that’s entirely a matter for them,” Ms Ley said. (Health Minister)”” 10 Feb 2016 – That policy has not changed. (link attached) –
Australian Government Advises Cannabis is a now State issue – 10 Feb 2016 – ABC NEWS
What did change since 2016 to 2020 is they continue to re-define the word “Cannabis” so it means that medical “Cannabis” need not include REAL Cannabis or even come from a plant at all.
REAL Cannabis here is defined as Cannabis over 10% THC by the UN, WHO, USA, Canada etc.
REMEMBER: There 98% of ALL Legal Cannabis for Medical use has ALWAYS been REAL Cannabis and 2% “other” including CBD. Here it is the other way around due to the pharma friendly laws in 2016, 98% is CBD and 2% REAL Cannabis. That is not an accident.
How is it possible to address Cannabis law reform in QLD or anywhere in Australia without being aware that the legal definition of “Cannabis” need not include REAL Cannabis, or even come from a plant. ANSWER: IT CANNOT –
Thus my own amendment to the 2016 Cannabis Access Bill to try and stop it or at least flag it for main stream media to perhaps see it and care (google my name and Hansards it is there) not that it did any good it seems. Though it is still referenced in law reform.
In the ACT 2020 Cannabis Bill they did not have to address the definition issue as it was recreational only, the NSW Cannabis bill 2017-2020 (pending) does address REAL Cannabis but the bill is about REAL Cannabis for medical use. But due to apathy, fear, etc, few have supported the bill, offered amendments, or done their own Bill. The NSW Cannabis bill 2020 would likely pass the upper house but fail in the lower house. This then creates an issue between the lower and upper house that only public interest can fix easily, but there is none. Only a CBD/Pharma friendly lobby. This spills into QLD and nationally,
To change the law you need to change the law – That means a 51% passable Bill as in ACT and as is pending in NSW.
What Happens Next –
1) NZ votes Mid October – on a non-binding referendum once seen as a slam dunk for YES pharma and those opposed have closed the gap to 50/50
2) Australia will Answer a NZ YES vote by flooding the market with over the counter CBD after the NZ vote. – At the bequest of pharma very soon, CBD will be flooding the market over the counter. Great news for CBD Pharma, not great news for those that prefer real Cannabis based medicine, will help CBD folks and be used as an excuse by all states and feds to say “ Australia we legalised CBD OTC so look we legalised Cannabis again because people are happy to call CBD “Cannabis”. – The UK is a model they are looked at it allowed them to push .
How to legalise Cannabis in QLD or any state.
- Look at the just the last few petitions gone to state government that was responded to In QLD here is a PERFECT one – https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/apps/E-Petitions/Home/DownloadResponse/b4107780-69a9-421d-8620-0d441aeb2dbe
On 14 December 2018, Steven Miles MP responded to a petition and even said here is a copy and pasted letter because all these petitions are the same. – Now is that not being ignored AGAIN and again. – He then goes into attack Cannabis as dangerous and recites the laws. That exact response letter tackling all the issues raised or some is a good way to address law reform.
2) What does most of the USA and Canada have in common with passing Cannabis law reform. – It was about making money but publicly rationalising law reform for other reasons other than money, but in a way that interests Government. That historically has been to stop/ control the black market, that in Australia still do not support passable bills (just ask them).
3) The NEW Black Market– When Australia and the States legalised “medical Cannabis” in 2016, there was a big problem.. There wasn’t any product and the cost and red tape was nuts. Then when it was discovered that there would be no legal weed growers that could sell to the public. Only low dose CBD isolates were going to be most of the market, a NEW CBD black market was born and the REAL Cannabis black market grew even more.
4) On the QLD response letter referenced – The Queensland Drugs Misuse Act 1986 and Drugs Misuse Regulation 1987, Narcotic Drugs Act 1967, The Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Act 2016, Recent amendments to the Queensland Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulation 2017, Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018. Yet no petitions ever address the flaws in each of these, or any of these.
5) To progress law reform when there is a history of responses you have to be aware or address them – For instance ..
Mr Miles MP says on 10 December 2018, that Cannabis is “a dangerous drug” per the Drugs Misuse Act 1986 and the Drugs Misuse Regulation 1987, I might remind you that Cannabis was legalized with support from QLD in 2016, largely due to the efficacy of Cannabis and because Cannabis has never killed anyone. In the USA and Canada when Cannabis was legalised for medical use, they discovered that 30-50% off all illegal recreational users turned out to be medical users. This greatly hindered the black market and became the focus of future law reform. …etc..
6) Know your war sheet – When we looked at passing the NSW Cannabis bill in 2017, we knew how everyone would vote including the independents, Here the greens were a yes, the reds a no and some yellows were maybes depending on their constituents, specifically shooters and by getting folks in those areas to talk to their MPs we got those 2 votes, but were still 2 shy of 51%.
The messages were clear to those in green, emails saying thank you for supporting the bill and nothing much more.
To those in yellow and red here is a respectful reason to say Yes .. a reason to vote yes… We got lots of answers and as I said we gained 2 of the 4 independents but not enough.
My perspective on Cannabis law reform is a bit different. I only got involved in Cannabis law reform in Australia in 2014 after my brother died of Cancer and RSO oil helped him in California before then #FCancer – Having been involved in California law reform in 1996, and mentored from some of the best……
So in NSW and Vic, I got involved and spoke to cops, GPs, MPs Greens, Independents, Labor, Liberal, didn’t care. After some submissions, I then got asked to consult on Cannabis bills by the health minister on a few occasions. Likely to get an insight to arguments to their falsehoods, but I used it as an opportunity try and get them to change their minds. I did learn the inner workings of government a bit, what pushes the buttons, and that got me an amendment sponsored by the Victoria health minister in the very first 2016 Cannabis Access bill.
I made no difference but was there to point the media to if they ever got interested. But the amendment is as predicted in 2016 was bad, but has only gotten worse for law reform. This is when Australia changed the definition of the word “Cannabis”.
I have since worked mostly with the NSW Cannabis bill, because it is the ONLY Cannabis bill. Has a great sponsor (President Upper House NSW) and can pass by 51% if supported by the community. Australia can have legal Cannabis in 6 months if they got behind the current bill or find any other state that can pass a bill in the upper or lower house by 51% that is the only way to change the law. 🙂 Who Cares ?
When you get exposed to more of the inner workings it changes your perspectives as you know, that is all. I know a little because I have seen a little, that is it. The result
I am often “reefered” to as the most hated Cannabis activist in Australia. The political and financed black market that don’t support law reform are no fans, anti-Cannabis pharma hates me for calling them out. The anti-Cannabis CBD/Pharma industry are no fans, then those that pretend to support cannabis law reform but are actually (by lack of knowledge or with ill intent) really working to offer services, or products that are only successful with Cannabis remaining illegal.
I am also pro law enforcement – a strange thing for a Cannabis activist. We discovered in the USA in 1995 and since, things worked best on stopping arrests if you worked with the police and meant they had buy in in the success of it working . They did the same thing in ACT Australia in 2019-2020 to some extent. If this was going to work what would you like to see done. Police involvement made California and Colorado rather well managed with law enforcement. In ACT the police were asked to address the problems with Cannabis being legalised.
I have spoken on podcasts and contributed to various new Cannabis Bills and amendments since 2016. Once you see many of these and listen to all the arguments and debates the answers from Government are literally cut and paste and exaggerated on.
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