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>While the Legalise Cannabis party said it was too early to “count their eggs”, preliminary projections suggest they are in the running to win three upper house seats – but it is promising to push “forcefully” on drug reform if elected.

>Currently, Labor looks likely to pick up about 15 upper house seats, meaning the government will need six other MPs to pass laws.

>Legalise Cannabis would probably be supported by the Greens, who support decriminalisation. The Animal Justice party, who are waiting to see if it will secure a seat, also wants decriminalisation, while the Reason party’s leader, Fiona Patten, who is currently in a tight race with former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek, has also voice support for it.

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Not Reese-Mogg…. the Australian state! (For anyone else high in the UK and confused…).

> "with a policy that would allow Victorians over the age of 18 to buy cannabis, to be taxed at 30%"

Oh yeah, that will definitely cut down on illegal dealers, what could they possibly offer customers now?

I thought “the Victorians” were some new progressive hipster-based opposition party.

Damn you Guardian, for getting my hopes up there…

There aren't many illegal beer dealers, despite us having one of the highest taxes on alcohol. Sure, there will continue to be dealers, but the legal route is going to be very attractive for a lot of people. And that sweet tax money is gonna be rad. And as a medical user myself, the legal route is far more consistent and easy to deal with than trying to sort shit with my old dealers...

Come on Dan Andrews, "Get on the bongs".

The black market for illegal booze and cigarettes is in the billions. It’s not that people are buying it from illegal dealers. It’s that they make their way on to legit shelves or venues and people buy them without knowing. That could be stolen, smuggled in without paying duty, or counterfeit.

Basically levies or artificially raised prices placed on anything makes the lucrative to criminals. Same goes for designer clothes, handbags, razor blades, phones, trainers, anything really. In order to reduce the criminal element really you need to make it not very profitable. Criminals don’t tend to sell carrots because they’re basically worthless. Taxing it isn’t going to remove crime. It will require continued police enforcement.

Weed dealers are non-existent in Washington State where they have a 37% tax rate. Convenience and safety won out along with a massive choice selection.

I use RSO for chronic pain and have considered growing my own and rendering the oils myself… but when you can get a gram of concentrated THC for $10.00 why go through the trouble.