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Cannabis Club Australia
Nov 27

Greens Legalise Cannabis Bill Blocked as Labor and Coalition Keep Australia Stuck in the Past

Updated: Dec 5

Image designed by Cannabis Club Australia. In a historic yet bittersweet moment for cannabis reform advocates, the Greens' Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023 faced defeat in the Senate today, blocked by the Labor and Coalition parties in a 13 to 24 vote. Despite the setback, the bill marks a significant milestone as the first attempt to legalise cannabis federally in Australia—a fight the Greens vow will continue.


Senator David Shoebridge, the Greens Justice Spokesperson, expressed disappointment but remained optimistic about the future.


“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 legalise it,” Shoebridge stated.


Labor and the Coalition’s opposition was criticised as a backward stance, with Shoebridge accusing the parties of clinging to outdated policies. “They keep pretending the war on drugs is working... like the occasions when their own MPs are caught with drugs and swear it is a one-off,” he remarked.


The Greens' push for reform reflects growing public sentiment, as recent data shows 8.8 million adult Australians have consumed cannabis—a figure the current laws continue to criminalise.


“If you’d rather have a brownie than a beer, or a gummy than a cigarette, of course you should be allowed to do that,” Shoebridge added. “One day soon, we’ll be able to sit together in a cannabis café and chill out. Labor and the Coalition can’t hold us in the 1950s for much longer.”


This vote, while a defeat, is a clear signal that the tide is turning. The conversation around cannabis reform has entered mainstream politics, and advocates are more determined than ever to push for legalisation that respects personal choice and prioritises public health.


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