Legalise Cannabis Australia (LCA) looks set to miss out on a Senate seat in Queensland, with Pauline Hanson/One Nation just hanging on.
With almost 77% of the vote counted at the time of writing, One Nation has 7.2% of the vote, against LCA’s 5.1% in the race for the state’s sixth Senate seat.
Despite probably falling just short at the federal level, Legalise Cannabis Queensland (LCQ) will field Fabrice Jarry as a candidate in the forthcoming Callide by-election on June 18.
The state seat was vacated by Liberal National Party (LNP) member Colin Boyce, who successfully contested the seat of Flynn at last month’s federal election.
As a prescribed medicinal cannabis patient and advocate, Jarry said he sees the difficulties faced by people who are disabled by their condition, unable to work or afford cannabis products. He wants to see a subsidy introduced at state level until cannabis is legalised.
He added: “I joined the party to make a difference and I strongly believe that a thriving hemp industry can ‘Help End Many Problems’ in our state. Not only economically and environmentally, but in relation to health, policing and human rights.
“LCQ represents the changes we need to make to become a safer, more productive and self-sufficient society.”
Jarry will go up against candidates from the LNP, Labor, One Nation, Katter’s Australian Party, and the Animal Justice Party.