At this month’s Victorian Liberal state council, party members will debate a motion to establish a regulated cannabis market for adult use, The Guardian reports. The proposal, put forward by former Liberal staffer turned lobbyist Mark Briers, calls for cannabis to be treated in a similar way to alcohol, with sales through licensed dispensaries and a state excise tax applied.
Supporters say the change would break the grip of organised crime and provide much-needed revenue for Victoria.
By legalising the sale of products (as we already do via prescription) and charging an excise, just as we do with alcohol, we allow Victorian adults to exercise freedom of choice; remove an unnecessary regulation/barrier in requiring a prescription, break the business model of criminals and collect desperately needed tax revenue for our state to pay down Labor’s debt,
As The Guardian noted, revenue raised from legal cannabis sales would be split between paying down state debt and funding drug and alcohol support services.
Modelling by the Penington Institute has suggested that an adult-use market could inject up to $10 billion into Victoria’s economy over the next decade. For Penington CEO John Ryan, this represents both an economic opportunity and a public health reform that could make communities safer.
Cannabis regulation is a common sense reform that all political parties should get behind.
Mr Ryan argued that prohibition has failed to achieve its goals, leaving behind a thriving black market worth billions of dollars annually. He said regulated access would improve community safety and allow the medicinal cannabis framework to focus on patients with genuine needs, rather than being distorted by demand for recreational use. According to Ryan, it’s an approach that prioritises both health outcomes and social stability.
It’s time we moved on from the failed prohibition and law enforcement approaches of the past.
While the motion is non-binding, its inclusion at the state council reflects a shift in attitudes within the Liberal grassroots. Observers note that the debate signals growing recognition across the political spectrum that cannabis regulation could provide both public health benefits and economic opportunities.
This coverage originally appeared in The Guardian in September 2025 ahead of the Victorian Liberal state council meeting.