Victoria’s Labor Government has chosen to ignore the advice of top experts and announced it will not decriminalise cannabis in its response to a parliamentary report calling for ACT-style decriminalisation. Legalise Cannabis Victoria (LCV) says Premier Jacinta Allan “has demonstrated a stunning lack of courage” by failing to support the recommendation that Victoria follow the ACT in decriminalising possession of small quantities.

The Allan Government is publicly grandstanding on law and order—talking tough on youth crime—but in truth wants to keep wasting police and court resources, as 90% of arrests are for possession or consumption. “They have failed to stand up for the critically overburdened police workforce, to listen to legal and health experts and to do what the community wants” David Ettershank and Rachel Payne said.

“The hypocrisy in this space is staggering” Rachel said. “Marginalised people are the ones in prison for cannabis, including an enormous proportion of First Nations Victorians. Aboriginal Victorians are eight times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession and represent almost 10% of cannabis related arrests, even though they make up 1% of the Victorian population. And this in the era of Treaty. The criminal cannabis market burdens police, clogs our courts and props up organised crime – that’s the real law and order issue here”.

David said that he and Rachel had negotiated with the Allan Government in good faith for three years, but the Premier and her team were now stubbornly refusing to see sense on cannabis. “If arresting a young person with a joint is being ‘tough on crime’, then this Government is showing how totally out of touch it is”. The former Supervising Magistrate of the Victorian Drug Courts, His Honour Tony Parsons, described cannabis law reform as the ‘Holy Trinity’ of good policy: “It’s the right thing to do. It’s backed by evidence. It enjoys broad community support” Mr Parsons said.