‘Tide is turning’: New Zealand’s cannabis referendum sparks debate in Australia
Leader of the Australian Greens and federal MP for Melbourne Adam Bandt said the the era of cannabis criminalisation was coming to an end
Sunday, October 18, 2020
The cannabis legalisation referendum was watched closely by progressive politicians and campaigners in Australia. For the first time, the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed that more Australians now support the legalisation of cannabis (41 per cent) than oppose it (37 per cent). Professor at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University Nicole Lee said the survey results were ‘significant’. “At the moment the states and territories are responsible for drug policies. Depending on what state you’re in there are different consequences for using it.” The Australian Capital Territory became the first state or territory in Australia to legalise cannabis a year ago, and police data shows there has not been any meaningful increase in cannabis-related arrests since.
