A new petition calling for cannabis decriminalisation in New South Wales has been launched with the support of independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, with the goal of bringing the issue before parliament later this year.
The e-petition, driven by veteran cannabis law reform campaigner Macciza Macpherson, must collect 20,000 signatures before August 22 to be tabled in the NSW Legislative Assembly.
The push follows the final report of the state's parliamentary inquiry into the cannabis regulatory framework, which recommended removing custodial penalties and decriminalising cannabis possession.
Macpherson, who has been involved in cannabis law reform since 1979 and previously served as a National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) organiser, described prohibition as a "multi-generational tragedy."
“This has costed the community billions of dollars and senselessly made criminals of hundreds of thousands of otherwise law abiding citizens,” he said.
“I started lobbying for my own benefit. Then I started doing it for my children. I am now doing it for my grandkids.
“Cannabis is a human rights issue and social liberties issue, exactly the same as sexuality or religion. The state has no position prohibiting it.”
Macpherson also pointed to recent survey figures cited within the petition, which indicate strong public backing for reform.
The 2022/23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that 80% of Australians do not believe cannabis possession should be treated as a criminal matter. The same data showed that over 40% of people had tried cannabis at some point in their lives, with more than 10% having used it in the recent past.
The petition contends that governments have consistently disregarded both public opinion and official recommendations, and urges the NSW Government to decriminalise the personal cultivation, possession and use of cannabis among adults.
“This will eventually get pushed through,” Macpherson added. “Whether it is a sensible and acceptable thing in my lifetime, I am unsure.”
