Legalise Cannabis Party MLC Jeremy Buckingham has produced a bud of cannabis in NSW parliament, while introducing a bill to legalise the drug.
Key points:
- Jeremy Buckingham gave a speech to the upper house while holding medicinal cannabis
- The Legalise Cannabis Party member introduced a bill to legalise the drug in NSW
- Cannabis is decriminalised in the ACT to allow for limited possession and growth
The upper house member said he obtained the drugs with his medicinal cannabis prescription but told the house he would be jailed if he handed it to someone else.
“What’s to be afraid of? Here it is Mr President, a bit of cannabis, medicinal cannabis,” Mr Buckingham said, pulling the cannabis from his suit jacket pocket.
“I note, Mr. President, that if I gave this cannabis here to you, that you would suffer a penalty of $10,000 and 10 years’ jail. And so would I.”
Mr Buckingham’s bill seeks to allow the cultivation of up to six cannabis plants at home for personal use, and to allow growers to share it with their friends.
In the ACT, cannabis has been decriminalised to allow the possession of up to 50 grams of dried cannabis per person and up to four plants per household.
Mr Buckingham said NSW was trailing behind on drug reform.
“It’s not about shopfronts, it’s not about marketing cannabis to anybody. It’s simply about freedom of choice,” Mr Buckingham told parliament.
Slipping the cannabis back into his pocket, Mr Buckingham thanked the President of the House Ben Franklin for not calling him to order for using a prop – a practise which is banned on the floor of parliament.
‘A thing they need to act on’
The Minns government has promised a drug summit some time in 2024, to hear from experts about whether to make changes such as legalising cannabis or introducing pill testing at music festivals.
Labor and the Coalition would need to support the bill for it to become law.
However, the ABC understands the government will not support Mr Buckingham’s bill, but would consider introducing its own legislation to legalise cannabis if the summit recommended it.
But even then, it’s understood Labor would take the policy to the next election.
Emma Maiden, General Manager of Advocacy at Uniting, said she was concerned the government would run out of time to enact drug reform in this term.
“I think that’s a reason why we wanted the drug summit in as early as possible, and ideally would have been this year in in 2023,” she said.
“They want to have a legacy. This is a thing they need to act on.”