Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023
2 November 2023
The ALA's Criminal Justice Special Interest Group has made a submission to the Senate inquiry into the Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023 (Cth), which would legalise cannabis for adult recreational use in Australia. As we continue to see the criminal justice system carrying the major burden of drug policy in Australia, the ALA supports the decriminalisation of possession and use of illicit substances at the very least, and preferably legalisation.
Our submission addresses myths surrounding legalisation of cannabis as a 'gateway' drug to more powerful substances, noting a number of Canadian studies into legalisation of cannabis which found no changes in illicit drug use following legalisation and that low-level cannabis use does not appear to increase the risk of substance use disorders.
ALA Submission
Hearing testimony by Shaun Marcus and Greg Barns SC (21 February 2024), pp.1-8
Final report