SYDNEY, Australia — For a brief moment on Monday, marijuana users rallied around a proposal from the Greens party to legalize the drug’s use for recreational purposes in Australia.

But those hopes were quashed the next day, as Greg Hunt, the minister for health, said the government would oppose the plan. Marijuana, he said, was a gateway to other drugs like methamphetamines.

“Our job is to protect the health of Australians,” he said on Tuesday. “This action by the Greens risks the health of Australians.”

Here’s what you should know about the marijuana debate in Australia.

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