Since the late 90’s medical marijuana has taken the world by storm, becoming one of the most talked about global topics of our current era and sparking interest into the legality of cannabis. US states Washington and Colorado first legalized recreational marijuana in 2012 and since then progress has been made in the US with six more states allowing legalization. Canada also have plans for recreational legalization in 2018, along with Mexico, France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands all making moves. So what about Australia?

Medical Marijuana is Legal in Australia?

Well, in early 2016 an amendment to the Narcotics Drug Act 1962 to allow cultivation of cannabis was passed. This opened the door for state governments to legalize medical cannabis which Victoria and New South Wales quickly did. However finding a prescription is nearly impossible and finding a legal product even harder. Prescriptions can only be given by an authorized prescriber and for doctors to become an authorized prescriber they must acquire approval from either an ethics committee or their specialized college.

A great start and certainly better than nothing, however according to the TGA only 30 doctors became authorized prescribers in 2017, evidence this system is not reliable enough to provide medical marijuana to the public, leaving desperate patients turning to the black market.

On top of that changing legislation for medical cannabis in parliament is painfully slow, the small amount of progress being made usually thwarted by pre-existing legislation. Laws regarding the importation and storage of cannabis were recently tweaked by the federal parliament. This had little effect though, piles of legislation still restricting distributors from full trade leaving Australians wondering if anything has really changed at all. Varying legislation from state to state complicates the issue further making it less and less appealing for politicians to be discussing.

Unfortunately this all means that while medical marijuana is legal, we’re still going to have wait for it.

So how Soon Until Recreational Marijuana is Legalized??

On the upside, consumption of hemp seeds was made legal in 2017, a long-overdue and needed update to the legislation. It doesn’t seem like this is a major step, but it is, before Australia can legalize marijuana, changing outdated pieces of existing legislation is key, opening the doors for new legislation.

Sounds easy, right?

Well the political system in Australia is no easy scene. Legalizing marijuana on a federal level seems the most idealistic scenario, this way states are able to fine tune the legislation to their needs. However most federal politicians are reluctant to discuss marijuana legalization out of fear of losing voters, resulting from a lack of public support. Leaving it all up to the state governments…

The good news here is that state governments generally show support for medical marijuana. The Therapeutic Goods Administration or TGA (which is the industry regulator) has approved 12 businesses in Australia to cultivate and supply medical cannabis products, providing a platform for the industry to boom and a reliable source of product for consumers.

This is only the beginning though; with more growth in the industry and acceptance from the public, complete access to medical cannabis cannot be more than 12 months away. Leaving recreational marijuana as the only topic for discussion beyond 2018.

And with enough public acceptance and existing infrastructure for medical marijuana, recreational marijuana can only be just around the corner…

…but that doesn’t mean walking down the street with a bong in your hand in 2019 will be acceptable, that kind of legalization could be decades away…

What it does mean is the sale and consumption of recreational cannabis may become legal, which could lead to a scenario similar to The Netherlands where licensed cafés can legally obtain cannabis products and sell them to their customers. This of course doesn’t count as complete liberation but is at least a solid middle ground for governments to regulate cannabis and for the public to consume it.

Cannabis cafés work as a great way to provide a medium for skeptical Australians to learn more about cannabis and enjoy its use in a safe and comfortable environment. This can decrease the stigma surrounding cannabis, stimulating acceptance and eventually complete legalization. While there’s still much to be done on the political side, seeing these types of cafes in Australia may only be as little as 24 months away.

So potentially by 2020, spending a Saturday night at your local cannabis lounge may be a reality!

But let’s not forget, cannabis culture doesn’t rely on legalization. For decades now cannabis has survived and thrived as an illicit substance and before that was enjoyed by all, bringing people and cultures closer together for its humane properties over centuries. Ending the stigma on cannabis is as good as legalization itself, so spread the word and spread the cannabis culture!