Legalising Recreational Weed in Victoria Will Be Debated By State Parliament Next Month

Victorian parliament will debate the legalisation of recreational weed next month if state MP Fiona Patten, leader of the Australian Sex Party, has her way. The vocal proponent of recreational cannabis—she is open about her own use of the drug—will move a motion today for parliament to debate the issue on September 14.

In a statement this morning, Patten said that Australia should consider the example of overseas jurisdictions who have successfully legalised marijuana. "The time has come," she said. "Most people understand that the overseas experience of legalising cannabis for recreational use has had only upsides. The sky hasn't fallen in."

Patten emphasised the economic benefits that legal weed could bring Victorians. "The tax revenue generated has been in the hundreds of millions also adding to a very healthy budget bottom line," she said.

"It seems government has no problem in collecting billions of dollars in revenue from the sale of the most destructive drug in our society—alcohol, yet they criminalise what has been shown to be a far less harmful substance in cannabis."

Victorian MPs are probably the most weed-friendly in the country—the state's first medicinal marijuana crop will be harvested and dispensed to young epilepsy patients next year. Still, it's unlikely that Patten will find much support from her fellow MPs on this issue—as far as Premier Daniel Andrews is concerned, there's a big difference between medicinal cannabis and a bong hit at a house party. Medicinal marijuana, when it hits the market, will be heavily regulated.

Nonetheless, Patten says that the proposed debate "is not a frivolous exercise."

"Medical professionals, academics of high esteem, former Commissioners of Police and many of my colleagues agree—legalising cannabis for recreational purposes makes social and economic sense….It's time for politicians to get with the times, get their head out of the sand and move to legalise cannabis altogether. It's just common sense and everyone knows it."

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