{date} Dear {title} {first-name} {surname},

Australia’s failure to acknowledge the place of cannabis in our society is an embarrassment. More Australians use recreational cannabis than any other population on Earth. Our tentative & ineffectual medicinal cannabis laws have done little to help patients in need, and regressive legislation routinely criminalises our citizens. I am writing today to request your support for pragmatic reform: the legalisation of recreational cannabis and a simplified & streamlined provision of medicinal cannabis.

The medicinal benefits of cannabis have been shown time and again in scientific literature, and new benefits are being found to this day. Medicinal cannabis laws in Australia have consistently failed to deliver these benefits to patients, forcing them to turn to illegal sources or more accepting countries. Recreational cannabis is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide, projected to grow into the hundreds of billions by 2025. Antiquated ‘just say no’ logic has played into the hands of criminals for decades, and will continue to do so until the prohibition is lifted. Every dollar in their hands is a dollar stolen from the legal economy and tax revenues.

These arguments have been covered extensively. The scientific evidence is clear and the polls have shown Australians support the end to cannabis criminalisation. In light of this, we demand: ● The removal of Commonwealth barriers to state legalisation of cannabis

● Legislation for patients in need to be prescribed and access medicinal cannabis

● Support for policies that reflect public opinion and scientific evidence rather than oppositional lobby groups Commonwealth and state governments both have a crucial role to play in the progress of Australian cannabis law. Every day that goes by means more suffering for patients in need and more Australians criminalised for harmless recreation. This issue will only continue to grow so long as the prohibition remains. Your response will be reflected in our votes. Kind regards,

{date} Dear {title} {first-name} {surname},

Every day Australians suffer because they can’t access the medicine they need. Approvals for medicinal cannabis prescriptions remain in the hundreds every month, while thousands are left without help. For comparison, over 300,000 patients are registered to receive medicinal cannabis in Canada, a country with a similar healthcare system and population to Australia.

Similarly, Australians continue to be criminalised for recreational consumption of cannabis, a product significantly less harmful than alcohol. That same criminal classification forms the basis for the entire illegal trade in existence today. With a legal cannabis economy & regulatory framework, dealers and traffickers would not exist in the way they currently do. Polls have shown a significant and consistent trend towards support for cannabis reform. Even in 2016 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found 14.5% of Australian adults consume it regularly, 85% favoured its use for medicinal purposes, and over 70% support decriminalisation. The question of cannabis’ place in our society is decided. Australians will continue to use it as medicine and recreation in greater numbers as the stigma & misinformation is lifted. This issue will not go away. Next year New Zealand will hold a referendum on legalisation, and when it passes we will appear weaker than ever. This is an election issue for many Australians. The constant pain of neglected patients will inevitably drive their support for one party or another, and poll trends have shown a pattern of growing support for legalisation every year. Even without extensive measures, removing Commonwealth restrictions on state cannabis legislation is a necessary and effective move to end the deadlock on this debate.

Pass Senator Leyonhjelm’s bill, reform the system for providing medicinal cannabis to patients, and implement responsible and evidence-based party policy. With these simple steps Australia can demonstrate the strength of our democracy and our forward-thinking values. Inaction is no longer a viable option. Thank you,

{date} Dear {title} {first-name} {surname},

I write to you today because I believe our country needs cannabis reform. Excessive regulation is making it almost impossible for thousands of Australians in need to access medicinal cannabis, when its benefits are so clear and make such a difference in the lives of those with access to it. At the same time others are harrassed and charged like criminals for their recreational use. We must act to reclassify cannabis; the attitudes of the past are hurting too many of us in the present. Both the Commonwealth and State governments must act to bring about change. Our major political parties have not acknowledged scientific evidence and the results of polls. I worry that religious and industry lobbies are the greatest obstacle to improving the policies in place toward cannabis. Every day that public opinion is ignored is another day patients suffer and Australians are hunted down for something less harmful than alcohol. Blindly restricting cannabis is not the answer. Kids with epilepsy will grow up with constant seizures unless their parents can access medicine, arthritis patients will resort to addictive opioids or illegal sources to ease their persistent pain. The 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found almost 15% of Australian adults use cannabis recreationally — Based on current legislation, almost 1/6th of our citizens are criminals. You are in a position to change this. State legislation to legalise, regulate, and develop responsible cannabis infrastructure requires the removal of Commonwealth barriers. By passing Senator Leyonhjelm’s bill to do so we might begin the process of ending the prohibition, helping Australians in need, and putting our police to work that aids the community rather than harassing them. A pragmatic change to {political-party} Party policy will show voters that Australia stands beside Canada and New Zealand, countries that have allowed the democratic process to act on deciding this issue. To ignore it is to play politics, to reject citizens in favour of lobbyists, and to cause genuine harm to our communities. Kind regards,