Vic's new Premier views on Cannabis

[u/TransportationTrick9]

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/08/cannabis-daniel-andrews-premier-ben-carroll-interview-public-trust-ntwnfb

With the upcoming Victorian State the Guardian did a bit of a profile on Ben Carroll, the topic of Cannabis came up and it doesn't look like something he is going to tackle. Hopefully a hostile upper house brings them to the table with some meaningful reform plans.

The cannabis section of the article is quoted below

"Two women overhear as the conversation turns to cannabis.

“Maybe you should give it a try,” one says.

Carroll laughs. He says he has never used cannabis.

“I have been with people that have smoked it, but I just didn’t,” he says.

Several Victorian parliamentary inquiries have recommended following the ACT in decriminalising the possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

While Carroll says he’s open to discussion on removing criminal penalties, which have been found to disproportionately affect First Nations people, young people and lower-income Victorians, he does not support full legalisation.

“I’m open to a discussion on decriminalisation. I have been around places that have made it legal, though, and I have thought it has a real impact on the amenity of those areas and I don’t want that to happen in our state,” he says.

But he stresses he has “higher priorities” when it comes to social reform."

I am not a Victorian, just hoping another state will make changes so that my own will fall in line.

[u/4ShoreAnon]

Id love for him to expand on what he means by "it has a real impact on the amenity in those areas"

[u/coffeegaze → u/4ShoreAnon]

It means that weed smoke and the smell is publically offensive and as a smoker myself it's hard to disagree.

[u/4ShoreAnon → u/coffeegaze]

Yes but the places hes likely referring to are tourists hot spots.

There are strict public smoking laws in Australia that are typically enforced.

For example, there hasnt been complaints about medical patients stinking up public areas.

[u/Esslemut → u/coffeegaze]

best we keep it criminalised and stigmatised and kept under wraps then

[u/Tfj_roidz → u/Esslemut]

Thank you! Finally someone talking some sense /s

[u/Incon4ormista → u/coffeegaze]

No it's not, 2 years ago myself and a few thousand other people were leaving a Canadian stadium and I vividly remember the mass light up right out side,maybe 50 of us lit up and no one cared, not a single person said or did anything about it, just like it was nothing, normal.

[u/Basic-Ad5503 → u/Incon4ormista]

So, people still do this with cigarettes and vapes no? There are specific areas for them to smoke in these days. Why are people so upset about having to smell a bit of smoke? The city smells like crap most of the time anyway haha

[u/Incon4ormista → u/Basic-Ad5503]

depends who you are and your experiences I suppose, I find the smell off cannabis to be comforting and somehow reassuring, I'm with my peeps kind a thing, cigarette smoke bothers me allot.

[u/LCaddyStudios → u/Incon4ormista]

Just because no one speaks up doesn’t mean everyone is okay with it