The cannabis community held a ‘high’ tea in Melbourne’s west on 420/20 April to celebrate all things cannabis and to highlight the urgent need for law reform.

David Ettershank MP said in previous years there had been gatherings in Flagstaff Garden, but attendees had been harassed by police, so this year’s event in Sunshine was lower key.

Six police officers monitored 40 cannabis advocates gathered in Kevin Wheelahan Gardens, where the crowd played Jenga and shared tea and cakes, but there were no arrests.

Attendees spoke of the importance of connecting with other advocates and congratulated MPs David and Rachel Payne for their work tackling stigma around the use of both medicinal and recreational cannabis, and their efforts to achieve law change.

David said that it’s sad that this year’s 420 was kind of ‘invitation only’, but it had to be done, given 60 police officers and sniffer dogs intimidated the crowd at previous 420 events in the CBD’s Flagstaff Gardens.

Most people who go to 420 events have prescriptions for medicinal cannabis and some attendees aren’t even big cannabis consumers but instead fierce advocates for law change. People who are not breaking the law have in the past been harassed by around 60 police officers just for attending a picnic. That’s outrageous.

Over 60,000 Australians continue to be arrested on cannabis charges every year, overwhelmingly for personal possession rather than trafficking. This underscores the urgent need for cannabis law reform.

Yet the State Governments are unwavering in their refusal to decriminalise cannabis. Last year, both the New South Wales and Victorian State Governments rejected recommendations from parliamentary inquiries to decriminalise. Both inquiries were secured by Legalise Cannabis MPs in Victoria and NSW.

How did the Victorian Allan Government respond to the recommendations last year?

In October, 2025, the Allan Government rejected the recommendation to decriminalise small amounts of cannabis and the possession of six plants, even though four ALP MPs were on the Committee and had supported the Committee’s recommendations.

The Victorian Government spokesperson then said the State would continue to monitor the research – that is such a cop-out.

We know that arresting people for cannabis possession is a waste of police and court resources.

The most likely age group to use cannabis is 18 to 24 years, and an arrest can impact an individual’s future employment and housing prospects. According to the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 80% of Australians support decriminalising cannabis.

At 420 this year we called for the Government to listen, and enjoyed good food and company.