Victorians back push for legal weed, Penington Institute research shows
A Melbourne-based public health research and drug policy institute has made some surprise findings in its survey of 3000 people.
Victoria
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Victorians overwhelmingly support the legalisation of cannabis but want restrictions on advertising and branding and strong regulations to limit children from accessing products, research shows.
Research by think tank the Penington Institute shows that future governments will have to develop a strong model for cannabis regulation if the drug is made legal.
The Melbourne-based public health research and drug policy institute surveyed more than 3000 Victorians and found nine in 10 favoured cannabis products being banned for use for under-18s.
Respondents also wanted the locations the products could be used restricted, with 62.4 per cent saying it should be restricted to private settings.
Meanwhile, 72 per cent wanted restrictions on branding, similar to cigarettes.
The majority also supported advertising bans (62.4 per cent) and limits on the strength of the products (63.2 per cent).
Penington Institute chief John Ryan said the research showed people want regulation and change.
“We already know most Victorians support sensible regulation of cannabis,” he said.
“And now we know there’s also broad agreement about what this should look like.
“Importantly, this community consensus aligns with the views of public health and legal experts.”
The mood for change has been in the air for the past couple of years in Victoria as cannabis has been legalised in other jurisdictions overseas.
In late 2023, the Allan government flagged it was open to the possibility of legalising recreational cannabis, with Premier Jacinta Allan admitting she had smoked cannabis.
“It was a long, long time ago,” Ms Allan said.
“I think it’s important that we inject a sense of honesty into our contributions on this.”
Two pro-pot MPs have also obtained seats in the Victorian upper house, with Legalise Cannabis members Rachel Payne and David Ettershank making it their career goal to get the government to pass legislation to legalise it.
In 2023 polling by RedBridge, commissioned by Penington, it was found 54 per cent of Victorians supported the decriminalisation of cannabis and the introduction of a regulated market.
Major new drug-driving reform also came into effect in March in Victoria. Victorian medicinal cannabis users will no longer automatically lose their license, with the courts now allowed to show discretion.
The change is set to affect around 1.8 million people who have a medicinal cannabis prescription, as drivers who test positive will be given the opportunity to appear in court and present their prescription.
Originally published as Victorians back push for legal weed, Penington Institute research shows
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