‘A Bloody Disgrace’: Australia’s Senate Rejects Bill To Legalize Cannabis
The Greens, Australia’s third-largest political party, announced Wednesday that its Legalizing Cannabis Bill 2023 was voted down in the Senate by a margin of 13 to 24 votes, marking a setback in its push for reform.
“We took a big step today from treating cannabis as part of the failing ‘war on drugs’ and instead putting forward a model that is safer, reduces harms and delivers for the millions of Australians who just want us to legalize,” stated the bill’s backer, Greens senator and justice spokesperson David Shoebridge.
“The support for this bill across the community is enormous and it’s why we know cannabis legalization in this country is inevitable,” Shoebridge added. “The Labor and Coalition parties joined together to try and hold Australia back in the 1950’s by blocking this desperately needed reform.”
The senator highlighted that this was still a historic action, as it was the first time the Federal Parliament had voted on a plan to legalize cannabis across the country, adding that it won’t be the last.
In June 2024, the Australian Senate committee rejected this legislation, stating “Ultimately, the committee is concerned that the legalization of cannabis for adult recreational use would create as many, if not more, problems than the bill is attempting to …