Chapter 1 - Introduction and background

[1]        Senate Standing Committee for the Selection of Bills, Report No. 5 of 2018¸ 10 May 2018, p. 3 and Appendix 1.

[2]        Journals of the Senate, No. 96, 9 May 2018, p. 3070.

[3]        Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech', Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[4]        Explanatory Memorandum, p. 1.

[5]        Explanatory Memorandum, p. 1.

[6]        Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[7]        Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[8]        Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[9]        Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[10]      Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[11]      Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[12]      Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech' in Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[13]      Senate Economics References Committee, Personal choice and community impacts: Interim report: sale and use of marijuana and associated products (term of reference c) (May 2016), p.  7.

[14]      Submission 32, p. 3.

[15]      National Drug Strategy 2017–2026, p. 33.

[16]      National Drug Strategy 2017–2026, p. 3.

[17]      National Drug Strategy 2017–2026, p. 4.

[18]      The National Drug Household Survey is the leading survey of licit and illicit drug use in Australia, undertaken by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare every 2–3 years since 1985.  Its sample in the 2016 survey was 23,772 respondents from households, so it does not include homeless or institutionalised individuals–which means actual prevalence of drug use may be greater than the survey indicates. See National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: Detailed Findings, p. 3 regarding the survey and its methods and p. 61 for statistics on cannabis use and trends.

[19]      National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: Detailed Findings, p. 10.

[20]      National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: Detailed Findings, pp. 58 and 61.

[21]      National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: Detailed Findings, p. 11

[22]      Therapeutic Goods Administration, 'Access to medicinal cannabis products' at www.tga.gov.au/access-medicinal-cannabis-products-1 (accessed 12 July 2018).

[23]      Therapeutic Goods Administration, 'Access to medicinal cannabis products' at www.tga.gov.au/access-medicinal-cannabis-products-1  (accessed 12 July 2018).

[24]      Therapeutic Goods Administration, 'Access to medicinal cannabis products' at www.tga.gov.au/access-medicinal-cannabis-products-1  (accessed 12 July 2018).

[25]      Senate Economics References Committee, Personal choice and community impacts: Interim report: sale and use of marijuana and associated products (term of reference c) (May 2016), p. 20.

[26]      Note this advice was given in 2015, and so the relevant forward estimates period was for
2016–20. These costings were disputed by some evidence received, which is discussed further in chapter 2.

[27]      Explanatory Memorandum, p. 11.

[28]      Explanatory Memorandum, p. 12. See tables A1 and A2 in Appendix 3 of this report for the PBO's breakdown of this modelling.

[29]      Explanatory Memorandum, p. 10.

[30]      Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Scrutiny Digest No 5 of 2018, 20 June 2018, p. 17.

[31]      Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Scrutiny Digest No 5 of 2018, 20 June 2018, p. 18.

[32]      Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Scrutiny Digest No 5 of 2018, 20 June 2018, p. 18.

Chapter 2 - Issues raised

[1]        Explanatory Memorandum, p. 1; and Senator David Leyonhjelm, 'Second Reading Speech', Senate Hansard, 9 May 2018, p. 2748.

[2]        See, for example: 360Edge, Submission 2, p. 4; Name withheld, Submission 11, pp. 1-2; Mr John Reeves, Submission 30, p. 2; and Name Withheld, Submission 35, p. 2.

[3]        Submission 2, p. 4.

[4]        Name Withheld, Submission 19, p. 1. See also Medical Cannabis Users Association, Submission 16, p. 4.

[5]        For example, see: 360 Edge, Submission 2, p. 4; Name Withheld, Submission 25, p. 2; Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform, Submission 26, p. 9; and Mr Mick Palmer AO, Submission 33, p. 7.

[6]        Submission 9, p. 1, citing A. Ritter and F. Matthew-Simmons, 'What does the research evidence tell us about what Australians think about the legal status of drugs?' in DPMP Bulletin, No. 21 (2018).

[7]        For example, see: 360 Edge, Submission 2, p. 4; NW, 5, p. 1; Doogue+George, Submission 8, pp. 1–2; Medical Cannabis Users Association, Submission 16, p. 2; Name Withheld, Submission 24, p. 2; Name Withheld, Submission 25, p. 2; and Mr John Reeves, Submission 30, p. 2.

[8]        Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 22.

[9]        Submission 21, p. 4.

[10]      Submission 24, p. 2.

[11]      Submission 6, p. 1.

[12]      Submission 26, p. 11. See also 360 Edge, Submission 2, p. 2; Name withheld, Submission 10, p. 1; Name withheld, Submission 11, p. 1;

[13]      For example, see Eros Foundation, Submission 9, p. 2.

[14]      Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 18.

[15]      Submission 13, p. 3.

[16]      For example, see: Name withheld, Submission 5, p. 2; Professor Ian W. Webster AO, Submission 6, p. 9; Name withheld, Submission 11, pp. 1–2; and Medical Cannabis Users Association, Submission 16, p. 1.

[17]      Name Withheld, Submission 11, p. 2.

[18]      Submission 6, p. 9.

[19]      For example, see: 360Edge, Submission 2, p. 4; AGEM, Submission 4, p. 1; Name Withheld, Submission 5, p. 1; Doogue+George, Submission 8¸ p. 4; Medical Cannabis Users Association, Submission 16, p. 4; Name Withheld, Submission 28, p. 8; and Name Withheld, Submission 35, p. 2.

[20]      Submission 2, p. 4, citing work undertaken by M. Shanahan and A. Ritter, 'Cost benefit analysis of two policy options for cannabis: Status quo and legalisation' in PloS ONE, vol. 9, 10 (2014), and the PBO work informing this bill as cited in chapter 1 of this report. See also Doogue+George, Submission 8,  p. 4.

[21]      Submission 33, pp. 3–4. See also Doogue+George, Submission 8, p. 4; and Name Withheld, Submission 35, p. 2.

[22]      Name Withheld, Submission 35, p. 2. See also Name Withheld, Submission 28, p. 8.

[23]      See, for example, Australian Christian Lobby, Submission 22, p. 5; Dalgarno Institute, Submission 12, pp. 2–4; Drug Advisory Council of Australia, Submission 15, p. 4; Western Australia Police, Submission 23, p. 1; Name Withheld, Submission 27, p. 2; and Royal Association of General Practitioners, Submission 29, p. 1.

[24]      Explanatory Memorandum, p. 1.

[25]      Submission 32, p. 4.

[26]      Submission 29, p. 1. The Rural Doctors Association of Australia also highlighted not only the health risks for users, but also the risks of impaired driving, Submission 14, p. 3.

[27]      Submission 7, p. 26, and also see p. 10.

[28]      Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 27. See also Professor John Whitehall, Submission 36, p. 1.

[29]      For example, see: Professor Dr Albert Reece, Submission 3, p. 2; Australian Medical Association, Submission 17, p. 2; Professor John Whitehall, Submission 36, p. 1 and Dr Elisabeth Taylor, Director of Research, ACL, Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 27.

[30]      Submission 3, p. 2 and p. 5.

[31]      Submission 23, p. 2.

[32]      See also Department of Home Affairs, Submission 34, p. 4.

[33]      Submission 32, p. 1.

[34]      Submission 32, pp. 2– 3.

[35]      Submission 32, p. 2.

[36]      Submission 20, p. 7.

[37]      Submission 32, p. 4.

[38]      See also Department of Home Affairs, Submission 34, p. 4.

[39]      Submission 32, pp. 1–2.

[40]      Submission 32, p. 1. See also evidence given by Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary, Health Products Regulation Group, Department of Health, Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 33.

[41]      For example, see: Drug Free Australia, Submission 7, pp. 26–27; Drug Advisory Council of Australia, Submission 15, p. 2; and National Drug Research Institute, Submission 18, p. 3.

[42]      Submission 7, pp. 26–27, see also p. 10.

[43]      Submission 7, p. 10.

[44]      For example, see Dr Elisabeth Taylor, Director of Research, Australian Christian Lobby, Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 28. See also Dalgarno Institute, Submission 12, p. 10.

[45]      Submission 23, p. 1.

[46]      Submission 34, p. 3.

[47]      Submission 14, p. 4.

[48]      Professor Simon Lenton, Director, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 25.

[49]      Submission 17, p.2.

[50]      Submission 18, p. 4.

[51]      Submission 12, pp. 14–15.

[52]      Australian Medical Association, Submission 17, p.1.

[53]      Submission 13, p. 4.

[54]      Professor Simon Lenton, Director, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Proof Committee Hansard, 17 August 2018, p. 26.

[55]      Submission 31, p. 1.

Dissenting Report–Liberal Democrats

[1]        Submission 33, p. 3.

Appendix 3 - Parliamentary Budget Office: financial implications of legalising cannabis[1]

[1]        Explanatory Memorandum, pp. 15–16.