Legalise Cannabis NSW MP Jeremy Buckingham has been appointed to chair New South Wales's first parliamentary inquiry examining the effects of cannabis prohibition, after a successful vote in the upper house on Wednesday.
The Impact of the regulatory framework for cannabis in New South Wales inquiry will assess the social and economic consequences of existing cannabis laws, with a particular focus on their effects on young people and marginalised communities.
Buckingham said the inquiry would also weigh up alternatives to the current prohibition framework, including an assessment of the "true socio-economic cost and the opportunities of cannabis legalisation".
He further argued that the state's black-market cannabis trade is functioning as "rocket fuel" for organised crime, and that legalising adult use would cut off a significant revenue stream for criminal networks.
"The inquiry will hear from experts in cannabis law reform, health, crime, economists and will look at jurisdictions like the ACT, US and Germany who have moved to a legalisation regime," he said.
"Cannabis prohibition disproportionately impacts and criminalises regional, working class, LGBT and Aboriginal communities – it's time to see why."
The motion received backing from both the government and the Greens before passing.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak will serve as deputy chair, while Labor's Sarah Kaine, Bob Nanva and Stephen Lawrence will sit on the committee alongside Liberals Chris Rath and Damien Tudehope.
NSW Treasurer and upper house MP Daniel Mookhey said the government was glad to have the chance to hear expert views, though he cautioned that any potential policy changes would be considered at the state's upcoming drug summit later in the year.
He said the summit would engage with "health and medical experts, police, drug user organisations, families and other stakeholders to build consensus on the way this state deals with drug use and misuse".
Greens drug-law reform and harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann described the inquiry as long overdue.
"It is about time, frankly, that we had a very far-reaching, thorough and detailed inquiry into cannabis — not just medicinal cannabis and not just into the very unfair laws around driving for medicinal cannabis patients," she said.
