| Country: | Australia |
| Legalise Cannabis Australia | |
| President: | Michael Balderstone |
| Founder: | Nigel Quinlan |
| Ideology: | Cannabis legalisation |
| Position: | Big tent[1] |
| Colours: | Green |
| Colorcode: |
|
| Seats1 Title: | House of Representatives |
| Seats2 Title: | Senate |
| Seats3 Title: | NSW Legislative Council |
| Seats4 Title: | Victorian Legislative Council |
| Seats5 Title: | WA Legislative Council |
| Seats6 Title: | Rockingham City Council |
Legalise Cannabis Australia (LCA), also known as the Legalise Cannabis Party (LCP) and formerly the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party, is a registered single-issue Australian political party.[2] It has a number of policies that centre around the re-legalisation and regulation of cannabis for personal, medicinal and industrial uses in Australia.[3]
The party's headquarters were based in Nimbin, New South Wales, which is known to have a high population of recreational cannabis users and hippies.[4] It is now in Macquarie Street, Sydney, after the election of its first NSW MP.
The group was founded in 1993 by Nigel Quinlan, who ran as a candidate under the name Nigel Freemarijuana. In 2001, Freemarijuana's name was assessed by the Australian Electoral Commission as to whether it was suitable to be added to the electoral roll – the Commission found that it was, meaning Freemarijuana could run as an electoral candidate under the name.[5]
In 2007, prior to the 2007 federal election, HEMP was de-registered as a political party by the Australian Electoral Commission after a random audit of its membership.[6] The group re-applied for party registration in February 2010, but according to HEMP secretary Graham Askey, delays in processing their application meant that registration did not proceed in time before the 2010 federal election was called.[7] It was formally re-registered on 23 September 2010.[8]
At the party's AGM held on 11 September 2021, a name change was proposed to change the party's name to Legalise Cannabis Australia, which was passed in a vote by party members.[9]
The party's current affiliates are the following:
| Division | Leader | Lower House | Upper House | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legalise Cannabis Western Australia | Leo Treasure | |||||
| Legalise Cannabis Queensland | None | |||||
| Legalise Cannabis SA | ||||||
| Legalise Cannabis NSW | ||||||
| Legalise Cannabis Victoria | ||||||
HEMP has stood candidates in several federal and state elections, since its formation.[10]
The party received a nationwide Senate vote of 0.71 percent at the 2013 federal election. Historically the party's best result was at the 1994 Elizabeth by-election in South Australia with a 5.37 percent primary vote.
For the 2016 federal election, the (HEMP) Party fielded two candidates for the Senate in New South Wales, but only one each in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. So that the candidates did not end up in the "ungrouped" column, they teamed up with the Australian Sex Party which also fielded a single senate candidate in most states. It also fielded a candidate for the Division of Solomon in the House of Representatives.[11]
The HEMP Party scored well in the 2019 federal election with over 260,000 votes and 1.8% of the primary senate vote.[12]
Michael Balderstone ran in the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election and received 2.3% of votes beating out almost every other minor party.[13]
At the 2021 Western Australian state election, the Party's local affiliate, Legalise Cannabis WA, were successful in gaining two seats in the Legislative Council, marking the first parliamentary representation for HEMP or its state affiliate parties.[14]
At the 2022 Victorian state election the party had two candidates elected to the Legislative Council, David Ettershank and Rachel Payne.
At the 2023 NSW state election, former Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham was elected to the Legislative Council. He made history by being the first politician in Australian history to produce a bud of cannabis during a Parliamentary session.[15]
In the 2024 Queensland by-election, LCP candidate Lindsay Melody gained a primary vote of 14.57%[16] in the outer suburban seat of Ipswich West - a new high for the party.
| Election | Votes | % | Seats won | Total seats | ± | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3,836 | 0.00 (#21) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | ||||
| 2001 | 63,648 | 0.55 (#10) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 2004 | 41,501 | 0.35 (#11) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | ||||
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | ||||
| 2013 | 95,430 | 0.71 (#12) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 2016 | 106,326 | 0.76 (#12) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 2019 | 262,426 | 1.80 (#6) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 2022 | 501,421 | 3.33 (#6) | 0 | align=center style="background:#ddd; | Extra-parliamentary |
| Name | Chamber | Electorate | Term began | Term ended | Length of term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Australian Legislative Council | South West | 22 May 2021 | bgcolor=yellow | Incumbent | |||
| Western Australian Legislative Council | East Metropolitan | 22 May 2021 | bgcolor=yellow | Incumbent | |||
| Victorian Legislative Council | Western Metropolitan | 26 November 2022 | bgcolor=yellow | Incumbent | |||
| Victorian Legislative Council | South-Eastern Metropolitan | 26 November 2022 | bgcolor=yellow | Incumbent | |||
| New South Wales Legislative Council | Statewide | 20 April 2023 | bgcolor=yellow | Incumbent |