If Fiona Patten wins a federal senate seat at the upcoming general election, she has committed to making a formal inquiry into medicinal cannabis her first order of business in Canberra.
Patten, who is standing for the Legalise Cannabis Party, said the time has come for a thorough, ground-up review of the sector — one she would push to initiate if elected.
Political analysts widely expect no single party to secure a majority following the election, meaning a minority government would need cross-bench support to pass legislation through parliament.
That scenario could give minor parties real negotiating leverage to extract commitments on specific issues in return for their votes, Patten said.
"I initiated numerous inquiries over eight years in the Victorian state parliament, from voluntary assisted dying to sex worker reform," she said. "They are not the easiest things to get up, but it's possible I could have a balance power after the election which would enable me to negotiate with the government of the day.
"They will struggle to pass legislation without the help of cross benchers so that gives you negotiating power. I never horse trade, but we could argue our case cogently and successfully that we need a review of where medicinal cannabis currently sits."
Even critics of cannabis would likely agree a review is overdue, Patten added, though she was clear the medicinal cannabis industry had no reason to be "fearful" of such a process.
Speaking during an industry webinar to outline her position and to rally support for her campaign, Patten said she envisioned a wide-ranging review of the entire medicinal cannabis sector, drawing on input from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Office of Drug Control and state health departments.
The review would examine how those bodies could work more closely together and "how we can ensure our industry can continue to prosper and thrive even more than it is".
The most recent inquiry into the industry was conducted in 2020, four years after medicinal cannabis was legalised.
Some of its recommendations were acted upon, but many were left unaddressed, said the former Reason Party leader.
"Now that we are in our 10th year of medicinal cannabis regulation in Australia, it is time for a new, broad senate inquiry that reviews the current regulatory scheme from top to bottom," Patten said.
A federal presence would also extend the work already being done by industry associations in building relationships with politicians and pushing for legislative change, Patten stressed.
"All of us who have visited MPs in Canberra know the response we get today is very different from the response we got five or 10 years ago," she said.
"I want to see a strong local industry that is growing and exporting, and in these early days of our industry we still need support to do that.
"The government supports industries across the sectors so I feel we have an opportunity to campaign and advocate for that. I hope we would start to see support from the government of the day."
Patten also flagged concern about a "small, but growing" group of detractors who are "getting greater media attention talking negatively about our industry".
Rather than advancing access to cannabis — with adult-use legalisation a longer-term goal — allowing that criticism to go unchallenged could result in stricter regulations being imposed on the sector.
"They will get in the ears of the conservatives – and by that I meant popularist politicians – and we could see real pressure on our industry," she said. "We need to be very aware of that."
A pro-cannabis voice sitting in the federal parliament would help push back against that kind of narrative, she said.
On the question of her prospects for becoming the Legalise Cannabis Party's first federally elected MP, there is considerable optimism.
She said the contest for Victoria's sixth senate seat is shaping up as a straight fight between Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party and Legalise Cannabis.
Patten described the Trumpet of Patriots as an "assault on the senses".
"Seeing the Legalise Cannabis Party on a ballot for many Australians could come as welcome relief," she said. "They might not look at the seriousness of the policies and the social justice or the medical reasons for changing the laws, but they will see the leaf on the ballot, and think, 'I don't like any of the others, I'll vote for that'.
"In 2022, the party secured 3% of the vote in Victoria, and came very close to winning, without doing anything. And we have grown since then.
"It is being said [by political commentators] that if the party increases its vote by 50% – so we get 4.5% to 5% – we're in a very good position to pick up a place in the senate."
While the Legalise Cannabis Party has grown considerably in political sophistication and organisation — and gained greater respect from voters and other political movements — its financial position remains unchanged.
Money is still scarce, Patten said, noting that while Clive Palmer pours countless millions into his campaign, the Legalise Cannabis Party has so far raised only around half of the A$250,000 required to run even a modest advertising effort.
"We are grateful to members of the industry who have supported us, but if more could do so that would be fantastic," she said. "We need boots on the ground and a few dollars in the bank."
On the party's core mission of legalising cannabis, Patten said the immediate goal is to end the criminalisation of cannabis use.
"To that end, if successful, I plan to amend the criminal code to allow states to make laws for cannabis," she said. "The prime minister rightly says that cannabis regulation is a matter for the states.
"We have seen the impact when members of parliament are dedicated to changing cannabis laws. Victoria's Legalise Cannabis MPs Rachel Payne and David Ettershank have been incredibly successful in supporting and advocating for medicinal cannabis.
"Their achievements include the recent positive changes to the Road Safety Act for medicinal cannabis patients, and an inquiry into the workplace testing of medicinal cannabis patients that is leading to reform.
"They also oversaw the successful inquiry into the Victorian hemp industry.
"There is no doubt that having a representative that is passionate about medicinal cannabis could have a significant influence in the federal parliament."
To donate to Patten's campaign, click here and to volunteer, click here.
