Fiona Patten, leader of the Reason Party and former Victorian MP, has become a member of the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association (AMCA) and will contest a board position at the association's AGM later this month.
First elected to parliament in 2014, Patten was a central figure in Victoria's decision to become Australia's first state to legalise medicinal cannabis two years after her election.
After losing her Northern Metropolitan upper house seat at November's election, Patten has been helping newly elected Legalise Cannabis MPs Rachel Payne and David Ettershank find their footing in parliament while working to keep key issues alive, including drug-driving reform.
Patten said her decision to join AMCA was driven by the determination of co-founder Lucy Haslam and the association's focus on patient welfare.
She said: "Lucy's passion and dedication to the cause has been inspirational and I want to see the work she started 10 to 15 years ago progress.
"It is the patient/person who is the most important in these debates. Politics is personal and Lucy has always articulated that so well."
On her continued involvement in cannabis advocacy, Patten added: "I've been an advocate before parliament and I will be an advocate on the other side."
Haslam noted that, in contrast to many politicians of the time, Patten never treated the legalisation of medicinal cannabis as the finish line.
"Fiona was one of a few politicians who never took her eyes off the ball and who continued to stand for the rights of patients on issues of access," she said.
"I am inspired by her tenacity in the world of politics and now excited to have her join AMCA in the ongoing pursuit of patient rights beyond her political career. I am sure that we can learn much from her."
