Victoria's Labor Government has been warned that keeping cannabis illegal will do nothing to shield young people from drugs, and will instead continue to cause serious harm to Australians caught up in the criminal justice system.
Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP Rachel Payne pointed out that while politicians enjoy the "privilege" of openly admitting past cannabis use, thousands of Victorians are still being charged and facing life-altering consequences for doing exactly the same thing.
Speaking in the state parliament's upper house, Payne and fellow Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank urged the government to show courage and bring an end to what they described as a failing approach to cannabis prohibition.
The debate was prompted by a Legalise Cannabis Party petition that collected nearly 3,000 signatures within 72 hours in support of decriminalising personal cannabis use.
Payne drew attention to the double standard embedded in current cannabis laws, reminding the house that a "tidal wave" of MPs had come forward to acknowledge their own past cannabis consumption.
Despite those admissions, those same politicians continue to uphold laws that criminalise the behaviour, leaving young people to bear the consequences, Payne said.
"Last year we saw a tidal wave of MPs step forward and announce that at one time or another they have consumed cannabis," the MP said. "There is immense privilege that comes with being able to make such a disclosure…but for many members of the public the criminalisation of cannabis has forced them into the judicial system and stamped them with a criminal record.
"They have lost their freedoms, their money and their ability to chase their dreams. The criminalisation of cannabis has caused so much harm.
"So when members of this government disclose their cannabis use, and then fail to act on decriminalising cannabis, it is a smack in the face to every Victorian who is not privileged enough to avoid the law."
Those individuals keep suffering due to "government inaction", she said.
Ettershank then addressed the frequently raised claim that legalisation would put cannabis within easier reach of children and drive up the number of users overall.
He contended that anyone who believes prohibition keeps young people safe "might be quite devastated to learn that cannabis is already being consumed by 14-17 year olds".
"Use [in that age group] has increased 20% from 2019 to 2023 because criminals don't care about protecting our young people," he said.
"All of us are rightly concerned about the harms that illicit drugs can do to our children. They should not be able to access drugs. But no amount of hand wringing or exhortations will protect our children from the harms of contact with an illicit drug market."
He also challenged the assumption that decriminalisation would lead to a surge in use, pointing to research from the ACT showing consumption levels had remained stable since personal use was decriminalised there in 2020.
"It runs counter to the prevailing idea that decriminalisation will increase usage and cause our young people to run amok," he said.
The Melbourne Western Metropolitan member urged the government to grasp the "profound impact" a criminal record carries for young Australians throughout their lives.
"This is something we will have to deal with sooner or later, and it will take a courageous government to do the job," he said. "I like to hope that courageous government is this one."
