Have you ever wondered what the cannabis landscape looked like in Australia in the past? Wonder no more. Let’s take a close look at how cannabis has been treated from the time it first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788.
- 1788 – Sir Joseph Banks brings hemp seeds to Australia with the First Fleet. He wanted to utilise Australia’s great land mass for Britain’s own commercial production of hemp, which would power their naval fleets and economy.
- 1788 – 1926 – Hemp production continues in Australia, with residents also consuming it for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Medical cannabis cigarettes called ‘Cigares de Joy’ were also available, claiming to relieve symptoms of illnesses like coughing, influenza, asthma, and others.
- 1926 – The Australian Capital Territory outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1927 – Victoria outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1934 – South Australia outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1935 – New South Wales outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1927 – Queensland outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1950 – Western Australia outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1959 – Tasmania outlaws all forms of cannabis and hemp.
- 1987 – South Australia introduces a‘civil penalty’ for minor cannabis offences.
- 1992 – The Australian Capital Territory decriminalises minor cannabis offences.
- 1998 – Victoria implements a system of cautions for minor cannabis offenders.
- 2004 – Western Australian decreminalises minor cannabis offences.
- 2011 – Western Australia recriminalises minor cannabis offences.
- 2016 – Australia legalises medical cannabis on a federal level in all states.
- 2020 – The Australian Capital Territory legalises recreational cannabis for consumption, possession, and backyard growing. It’s still illegal to buy and sell cannabis.
- 2021 – The TGA reschedules some CBD medicines to be made available over the counter without a prescription. However, no medicines are available.
And there you have it. The full history of Australia’s relationship with cannabis.
What will the future hold? No one’s certain. But with people like Dr Brian Walker and Sophia Moermond of Western Australia’s Legalise Cannabis Party, it looks quite bright.
