Australia's Legalize Cannabis Party Introduces Bill, Indigenous People In Canada Seek Rights & More

Australia: Legalize Cannabis Party Introduces Personal Use Bill In Three States 

The Legalise Cannabis Party recently introduced a bill to legalize personal cannabis use. The measures were introduced in parliaments in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia on the same day, reported ABC Net.

According to New South Wales upper house parliament member Jeremy Buckingham, the bill would not allow anyone under 18 to have access to marijuana and contains strict driving provisions. The legislation proposes home cannabis cultivation of up to six cannabis plants. 

"This is a historic move by the Legalise Cannabis Party across Australia to bring a coordinated reform for cannabis legalization," Buckingham said.

He added that the idea behind the reform was to address the 700,000 marijuana-related offenses nationally since 2010, by allowing legal use. According to police reports, organized crime yields $8 billion each year, just through marijuana.

Canada: Indigenous People Demand The Right To Take Part In The Cannabis Market 

The standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples in Canada stressed that Indigenous individuals have not had a fair opportunity to take part in the marijuana market under the current legislation. The committee is now seeking changes that would allow Indigenous people to benefit from the recreational cannabis market, writes The Canadian Press. 

"Once again, Indigenous Peoples have been excluded from participation in the economic prosperity of the country," Brian Francis, a P.E.I senator said at a press conference in Ottawa. 

According to Francis, numerous problems the community faces could have been resolved at the very beginning when the legalization was happening in 2018. "This oversight, to put it as charitably as I can, cannot readily be corrected," he said, adding that “the cannabis market is now largely saturated. First Nations entrepreneurs will have to work twice as hard to gain a foothold in this market."

Among the challenges First Nations are facing is the mere entrance into the cannabis market, because the federal government has left regulation of legal marijuana activity to provinces and territories. And while the communities were able to reach agreements in British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan, they haven’t managed to do that in Quebec and the Northwest Territories. 

Aside from asking the Minister of Health to amend the Cannabis Act to allow First Nations to regulate the possession and sale of marijuana on their lands, the committee is also seeking changes in the licensing process and taxes. 

"There's certainly some work that still has to be done, but I would say this is a golden opportunity for the government to act," said David Arnot, a Saskatchewan senator. "We've given them clear recommendations and if they follow those recommendations, that will really set the stage for a reconciliation, certainly, economic reconciliation."

Meanwhile, more than 100 marijuana workers in Manitoba voted to approve a new collective agreement, which is said to be the first of its kind in the province, reported CTV News.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which represents employees at ten The Joint locations across the province said that the new 30-month agreement covers a myriad of important subjects like workers’ safety, pay and unjust disciplinary actions. 

“I’m proud of our new members who stood up for their rights to join UFCW and worked together on not only organizing their workplace but also working with us to obtain the first collective agreement for Cannabis retail workers in the province of Manitoba,” UFCW Local 832 president Jeff Traeger stated. 

Luxembourg: Parliament To Vote On Marijuana Reform This Month 

Luxembourg Parliament is expected to vote by the end of June on a proposal to legalize home cultivation of marijuana, according to Luxembourg Times. 

Under the proposed legislation, adults would be allowed to cultivate up to four plants in a place that is invisible from public space. They must not consume marijuana products outside their residence and cannot carry more than three grams outside their homes.

“It would be a question of making consumption safer and of sensitizing both consumers and anyone else for the risks associated with it,” Justice Minister Sam Tanson said.

Malta: Illegal Weed ‘Klub’ Using Food Couriers For Delivery Shuts Down 

The Klub, an operation illegally selling marijuana and psychedelic mushroom products by using the Telegram messaging app and food couriers for delivery has closed, reported Times of Malta. The move comes several hours after the outlet reported exposing these illicit activities.

The group’s administrators revealed the news on its channel, saying that “all good adventures have an end and it is now time for us.” The group also noted that it had applied for a license to open a legal cannabis shop and that it intended to do things right from the start. “The journey has been amazing... we deeply want to thank you all,” the administrators said.

Releaf Malta an organization that advocates for the regulation of cannabis, commented on the news saying that while it “doesn’t condone any illegal activity whatsoever, we remind the general public that the community has had to rely on the illicit market for decades”.

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Andrei Minsk and Marti Bug Catcher on Shutterstock