The Greens have come up with another justification for legalising cannabis, arguing it will help to solve Australia’s cost of living crisis.
Greens Senator for NSW David Shoebridge claimed legalising the illicit drug would create billions of dollars of revenue for the government while also being ‘very cost effective’ for users.
The Greens’ Legalising Cannabis Bill was blocked by Labor and the Coalition in a 13 to 24 vote against in November last year.
However the party remains eager to change the law, and Senator Shoebridge said on Tuesday that the move would have economic benefits, not just personal.
‘If we wanted to tell you one thing right now to make a blow in this space [cost of living], it’s dealing with cannabis,’ Mr Shoebridge said.
‘A system where you can grow some at home; very cost effective, very thrifty, or you could also buy cannabis from a well regulated legal market.’
Mr Shoebridge said estimates from the Parliamentary Budget Office found sales tax and GST on a legal cannabis market would result in billions of public revenue.
‘The recreational price of cannabis declines once you have a legal market and billions of dollars of public revenue,’ Mr Shoebridge said.
Greens Senator for NSW David Shoebridge claimed legalising cannabis would help curb the cost of living crisis as it would create billions in revenue and be ‘cost effective’ for Aussies
Greens leader Adam Bandt and Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi
‘In fact, recreational price halves in a decade, and with almost no increase in overall cannabis use, public health control less spending on police, courts and jails.’
Sen. Shoebridge said legalising cannabis was ‘a cost of living measure we should all get behind’.
‘Of course, it won’t fix the housing crisis, it won’t jail supermarket bosses for price gouging, or make Medicare free but still…
‘More money, more jobs, safer products and all for 50 per cent off. Sounds like a win all round.’
According to the 2019 National Drug Use Household Survey, 40 per cent of Australians have used cannabis and more than 60 per cent of Sydneysiders want cannabis legalised.
The Greens’ bill to legalise cannabis proposed a national agency that would be set up to register cannabis strains and regulate people able to grow the plant, as well as the operation of cannabis cafes.
Social media users backed Mr Shoebridge’s idea, with many claiming they did not understand the government’s apprehension in legalising cannabis.
‘Imagine the tax the government would get if they did this. I don’t get why they don’t,’ one person commented.
‘Can anyone really explain why this is frowned upon?,’ a second person commented.
A third chimed: ‘Exactly. I don’t touch the stuff and even I agree this is the way to go’.
