Legalise Cannabis Australia
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Legalise Cannabis Australia (LCA), also known as the Legalise Cannabis Party (LCP) and formerly the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party, is a single-issue Australian political party.[1] It has a number of policies that centre around the re-legalisation and regulation of cannabis for personal, medicinal and industrial uses in Australia.[2]
The party's headquarters were based in Nimbin, New South Wales, which is known to have a high population of recreational cannabis users and hippies.[3]
History
Formation
The group was founded in 1993 by Nigel Quinlan, who ran as a candidate under the name Nigel Freemarijuana. In 2001, Freemarijuana's name was assessed by the Australian Electoral Commission as to whether it was suitable to be added to the electoral roll – the Commission found that it was, meaning Freemarijuana could run as an electoral candidate under the name.[4]
Deregistration and re-registration
In 2007, prior to the 2007 federal election, HEMP was de-registered as a political party by the Australian Electoral Commission after a random audit of its membership.[5] The group re-applied for party registration in February 2010, but according to HEMP secretary Graham Askey, delays in processing their application meant that registration did not proceed in time before the 2010 federal election was called.[6] It was formally re-registered on 23 September 2010.[7]
Name change
At the party's AGM held on 11 September 2021, a name change was proposed to change the party's name to Legalise Cannabis Australia, which was passed in a vote by party members.[8]
State and territory affiliates
The party's current affiliates are the following:
| Division | Leader | Lower House | Upper House | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legalise Cannabis Western Australia | Brian Walker | Template:Composition bar | Template:Composition bar | Template:Maybe | |
| Legalise Cannabis Queensland | Template:Composition bar | None | Extra-parliamentary | ||
| Legalise Cannabis SA | Template:Composition bar | Template:Composition bar | Extra-parliamentary | ||
| Legalise Cannabis NSW | Jeremy Buckingham | Template:Composition bar | Template:Composition bar | Template:Maybe | |
| Legalise Cannabis Victoria | Template:Composition bar | Template:Composition bar | Template:Maybe | ||
Electoral results
LCP has stood candidates in several federal and state elections, since its formation.[9]
The party received a nationwide Senate vote of 0.71 percent at the 2013 federal election. Historically the party's best result was at the 1994 Elizabeth by-election in South Australia with a 5.37 percent primary vote.
For the 2016 federal election, the (HEMP) Party fielded two candidates for the Senate in New South Wales, but only one each in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. So that the candidates did not end up in the "ungrouped" column, they teamed up with the Australian Sex Party which also fielded a single senate candidate in most states. It also fielded a candidate for the Division of Solomon in the House of Representatives.[10]
The HEMP Party scored well in the 2019 federal election with over 260,000 votes and 1.8% of the primary senate vote.[11]
Michael Balderstone ran in the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election and received 2.3% of votes beating out almost every other minor party.[12]
At the 2021 Western Australian state election, the Party's local affiliate, Legalise Cannabis WA, were successful in gaining two seats in the Legislative Council, marking the first parliamentary representation for HEMP or its state affiliate parties.[13]
At the 2022 Victorian state election the party had two candidates elected to the Legislative Council, David Ettershank and Rachel Payne.
At the 2023 NSW state election, former Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham was elected to the Legislative Council. He was the first politician in Australian history to produce a bud of cannabis during a Parliamentary session.[14]
In the 2024 Queensland by-election, LCP candidate Lindsay Melody gained a primary vote of 14.57%[15] in the outer suburban seat of Ipswich West - a new high for the party.
Australian Senate
Elected representatives
Current
New South Wales
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Australian party style| | File:Jeremy with cannabis (1).jpg | Jeremy Buckingham (born 1973)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
Member of the Legislative Council | 20 April 2023 − present |
Incumbent |
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Victoria
| Image | Officeholder | Office | <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />TermScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Australian party style| | File:3x4.svg | David Ettershank | MLC for Western Metropolitan Region | 26 November 2022 − present |
Incumbent |
| Template:Australian party style| | File:3x4.svg | Rachel Payne | MLC for South-Eastern Metropolitan Region | 26 November 2022 − present |
Incumbent |
Western Australia
| Image | Officeholder | Office | <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />TermScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Australian party style| | File:Brian Walker.jpg | Brian Walker (born 1954)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
MLC for East Metropolitan Region | 22 May 2021 − present |
Leader of Legalise Cannabis WA since 2024. Incumbent |
Former
Western Australia
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Australian party style| | File:Sophia Moermond.png | Sophia Moermond (born 1968)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
MLC for South West Region | 22 May 2021 − 9 May 2024 |
Left party |
See also
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- Australian National Council on Drugs
- Cannabis in Australia
- Cannabis political parties
- Crime in Australia
- Drug policy reform
- Illicit drug use in Australia
- Network Against Prohibition
Notes
References
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- ↑ Free marijuana and Australian Electoral Officer for Queensland, Australian Electoral Commission, 21 September 2001.
- ↑ HEMP Party election hopes go up in smoke, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 November 2007.
- ↑ HEMP campaign stubbed out, ABC North Coast NSW, 19 July 2010.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Cannabis article regarding name change
- ↑ Hemp party seeks more support, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 19 January 2005.
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External links
Template:Cannabis in Australia Template:Australian political parties
- Pages with script errors
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- 1993 in cannabis
- 1993 establishments in Australia
- Political parties established in 1993
- Cannabis culture
- Cannabis political parties of Australia
- Drug policy of Australia
- Law reform in Australia
- Political parties in Australia
- Single-issue political parties in Australia