The enormous sheet of white paper you’ll see in the polling booth tomorrow (unless you’ve already voted) is for the Australian Senate (the upper house) and Miles Hunt is asking for your vote.
As first on the ticket in NSW for the Legalise Cannabis Party lawyer, activist, and author Miles Hunt says it is a vote that will make a difference. He says that the party’s core values include the protection and promotion of civil liberties, privacy, human rights, personal freedoms, anti-discrimination, and compassion.
‘A lot of people are listening to what we are saying,’ he told The Echo as he handed out how to vote cards at the pre-poll booth in Lismore today.
‘The cannabis and hemp industry has the opportunity to create significant job opportunities and help build the economy. People have been stigmatised for 100 years with the ciminalisation of cannabis and we can do things better. The Legalise Cannabis Party are in a position to be a new and independent voice and make suggestions and changes that benefit everyone.’
The Legalise Cannabis Party policy platform advocates for the legalisation and regulation of cannabis, treating it similarly to alcohol and tobacco but without imposing excessive taxation that could drive consumers back to the illicit market.
‘The prohibition of alcohol in the US didn’t work, it created a black market where people died, It didn’t stop people drinking,’ says Miles.
‘In states where cannabis had been decriminalised, like Colorado, they have seen a reduction in usage by people aged under 18 of around three to five per cent. In the general population there is around a 25 per cent usage rate and those levels have remained stable since cannabis has been decriminalised – they don’t seem to change.
‘The criminalisation of a low-risk plant like cannabis reduces the opportunity to educate people in a positive way. Regulation of cannabis is the key it allows us to address risky and dangerous behaviour. The change to drug laws in Portugal saw significant change in areas of problematic use.
‘The prohibition of cannabis has been one of the greatest failures of modern times. Legalisation and regulation are essential for a fair and just society. When I get to Canberra, I will do everything in my power to ensure we achieve this.’
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