Greens MP and drug-law reform spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has unveiled her party's proposal to legalise and regulate recreational cannabis for adults in New South Wales, with plans to advance the policy following this month's state election.
Under the proposal, households would be permitted to cultivate up to 12 plants, cannabis social clubs would be legalised, and a NSW Cannabis Authority would be created to oversee the market and prevent large corporations from dominating the industry.
Cannabis products would be subject to harm-reduction regulations, including health warnings, CBD/THC content labelling, and a ban on advertising.
The plan also includes expunging past cannabis convictions and overhauling drug-driving laws so that testing focuses on impairment rather than the mere presence of a substance.
The Greens said the policy could generate up to A$9 billion in state revenue over ten years.
Faehrmann said: "More than one in three of us have used cannabis in our lifetimes and more than two million Australians use cannabis each year.
"Prohibition has well and truly failed and governments all around the world are finally accepting this fact. We've seen legalisation in 21 US states, Canada, Uruguay, South Africa and Mexico and the sky hasn't fallen in.
"People are risking criminal records just because their drug of choice has been deemed illegal because of a moral crusade started before I was born. The fact is cannabis poses much less harm to individual users and to our society compared to alcohol, tobacco and many prescription drugs."
Faehrmann committed to introducing the bill as a priority after the election, arguing it would offer greater protections to cannabis consumers and young people.
"At the moment most people have no idea of the strength of the cannabis they are buying on the illicit market and whether or not it's laced with other drugs," she said.
"A regulated cannabis market would protect young people because, unlike drug dealers, cannabis stores will be required to check ID and refuse service to those under 18."
In January, a report from the Parliamentary Budget Office commissioned by the Greens found that federally legalising recreational cannabis could bring in A$28 billion in tax revenue over a decade.
“A regulated cannabis market would protect young people because, unlike drug dealers, cannabis stores will be required to check ID and refuse service to those under 18.”
Cate faehrmann
Faehrmann said that figure would translate to $6.5 billion in revenue and $2.4 billion in GST for NSW over the same period.
On the issue of drug driving, she added: "Every year thousands of people are being charged for drug driving after testing positive to THC even though the effect had worn off long before they got behind the wheel.
"Our plan will not only create a legal defence for medicinal cannabis patients, but reform the entire mobile drug-testing program to test for impairment instead of mere presence.
"Instead of billions of dollars going into the pockets of organised crime, our bill would enable the sale of cannabis to be regulated and taxed, meaning hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially billions, would be diverted to our health system, including drug rehabilitation and harm reduction," Faehrmann said.
Greens member for Ballina Tamara Smith added: "The war is not on drugs, it's on our people. I've got 80-year-old constituents who are having fantastic results from prescribed cannabis for chronic health conditions who cannot drive or enjoy their mobility because they might lose their licence – despite the fact that they are not impaired.
"I've also got medicinal cannabis producers in my electorate delivering economic and health benefits to our region, but stymied by outdated attitudes to cannabis use."
NSW voters head to the polls on March 25, 2023.
