Cannabis Law and Politics

With statements like, ‘Cannabis is addictive and there’s no proof it’s useful for medical purposes,’ The National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) needs to grow up says the HEMP Party. “It’s as addictive as tobacco with severe withdrawal symptoms and it causes lung cancer is more reefer madness nonsense from them,” says President Michael Balderstone. “Victoria is at least unlocking the gate to MC with yesterday’s announcement and NCPIC needs to catch up on some reading. The changes in America have been a win win for everybody and public opinion has changed very quickly over there from about 30% to 65% wanting legalisation now. Once the general population…

Hon Dr Brian Walker MLC – Legalise Cannabis WA My question without notice is to the people across all of Australia. Being aware that many signatures are needed to form a Party, and without the support of a broad range of voters, access to Cannabis in your State will be severely limited and remain illegal. My question to you is;1. Are you aware that Legalise cannabis Parties exist throughout Australia? 2. Are you aware that becoming active in these Parties is essential to obtaining a voice in Parliament to speak for you? 3. Have you already signed up to join Legalise Cannabis Party in your State, and if not why not? Become a member online LegaliseCannabis.org.auWE NEE…

The instant success of the Legalise Cannabis Party in Queensland and WA should come as no surprise to many within the “legalise” movement. In fact, it should come as no surprise to many outside the movement either, particularly those in political circles. As jurisdictions around the world move to create a legal cannabis market or reduce or delete penalties around possession currently on their statute books, the fact that a party has cannabis as its number one core policy is seen by many as a no-brainer, especially given the public’s support for the issue. Victoria is Australia’s most progressive state. In the last eight years, most notably through the urging of progressiv…

You can help drive the Campaign Van for Cannabis law reform. The HEMP Party appreciates your support for the federal election. We will be striving to get candidates elected to the Senate and will also be fielding candidates in some of the lower house seats for the first time. To achieve this, we need funding and volunteers to help with campaigning. We need our grassroots supporters to pitch in and donate whatever time and money they can afford to help raise the funds needed to pay the AEC nomination fees for our candidates. You can help fund the campaign to re-legalise and regulate Cannabis for personal, medical and industrial use. Join the Party The post Go Fund…

The Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party has invited its members to an early AGM on September 11 with a proposal to change its name to Legalise Cannabis on the agenda. “Over 70% of our members support the name change in both surveys we have done,” said Michael Balderstone, HEMP Party President. We want to be clear on what we are about and call it as it is with no chance of confusion. Hemp farming is legal now again in Australia and Marijuana is a word created by the prohibitionists in America back in the 1930’s to trick the hemp farmers who didn’t realise that banning marijuana had also criminalised hemp. Thousands of hemp farmers crops were made illegal overnight …

Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party candidate for the seat of Cook, Don Fuggle is up against the Prime Minister of Australia. The election of two Legalise Cannabis Party MLCs to the Western Australian parliament has put Cannabis law reform firmly on the agenda for the upcoming federal election according to Michael Balderstone, HEMP Party President. “As much as Aussie cannabis users are inspired by the WA result, we are equally appalled by the absolute lack of insight both our major parties have about the war on drugs. Across the planet civilized countries are accepting drug use as a health issue and changing laws and attitudes accordingly, but here in Oz we are st…

Losing your driver licence for three months is a massive punishment, especially for country people. Incomparable to the cautions police give you for possession of up to fifteen grams of pot. The drug driving rules were introduced to catch truckies on speed as I remember, but instead they’re catching tons of stoner dolphins in their shark nets. Did they know what they were doing, was this ever their intention? I’m never sure and want to believe we are nicer than that. And endlessly proved wrong! Whichever way you look at it, they’ve stumbled onto a lethal weapon against pot-smokers and the RDT highway patrol cars are using it to full advantage. Except their manual is way o…

Recently elected to Western Australia’s Legislative Council, Sophia & Brian from Legalise Cannabis WA Party deliver their first speeches in Parliament. Sophia: I have a background in healthcare, starting of as a registered nurse, and following on with Naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. My focus has always been to empower and help people through informed choices. Brian: It was a pleasure to be sworn in as a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia yesterday by the Governor of WA, His Excellency the Hon. Kim Beazley AC. This is the start of an exciting journey, not just for me, but for the cannabis community in WA as a whole, and I’m raring to g…

When three weeks out from polling day the Liberal Opposition leader threw in the towel announcing it was impossible for him to win, it was obvious this would be an election like no other. As predicted the Labor government was returned in a landslide, support for One Nation totally collapsed and the Liberal opposition was decimated, reduced to only two members in the Legislative Assembly. Early polling was indicating a huge swing to Labor following the trend of voters supporting competent pandemic management. Annastacia Palaszczuk was similarly rewarded in Queensland although the result in WA surprised even the most seasoned pundits. But the big news from the election was …

We are over the moon about the two Legalise Cannabis WA candidates who won seats in parliament. Hopefully the result will sharpen the focus on the seriousness of cannabis law reform as an issue. There are many related issues that need addressing in each state including convictions given to patients and personal users who self supply and random roadside drug testing regimes looking for presence rather than impairment. Both LCQ and LCWA were formed and registered in their respective state within weeks of announcing their intentions. Legalise Cannabis will continue registering parties to contest state elections. Already NSW, VIC, SA and TAS are in progress. You can be a memb…

Nimbin’s HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone says members of the Embassy and HEMP Party are over the moon about the two Legalise Cannabis WA candidates who won seats in parliament. “This is a genuine world first,” he said. “Many have tried but Sophia Moermond and Dr Brian Walker are the very first cannabis party candidates to be elected.” “Hopefully the result will sharpen the focus on the seriousness of cannabis law reform as an issue. The legal medicine you can get via your doctor is only for the ‘well to do’ and there is no valid reason at all why we cannot be growing our own at home instead of paying prohibitive prices.” “It’s no wonder there is a new wave of …

Jubilation spread across cannabis groups on social media late yesterday as word got around that the Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Party (LCWA) had won its second Upper House seat. This is a HUGE win for the Legalise Cannabis movement that was spawned at state level last year in Queensland by the rising fury of cannabis activists, advocates and medical users who were fed up with not being listened to. Both Qld and Western Australia branches were formed and registered in their respective state withing weeks of announcing their intentions. Both contested elections just weeks after registration on a shoestring budget. “Success has come swiftly if not a little unexpected…