Watch our women’s health and cannabis forum recording to learn more 👇

https://rachelpayne.com.au/in-conversation-womens-health-and-cannabis/

I use medicinal cannabis for debilitating period pain, and I know so many women who rely on it too.

Behind every statistic are real people reclaiming their lives.

It also reflects findings from Victoria’s recent Inquiry into Women’s Pain, which showed most women live with conditions like period pain, endometriosis, or arthritis – often with daily or constant pain.

Chronic pain patients from all walks of life, from healthcare workers to tradies, are seeing real benefits.

This matches what I heard at our Women’s Health Forum last month, where women shared how medicinal cannabis has helped them manage daily life and work.

Thank you to Justice Connect, the Federation of Community Legal Centres, the Council to Homeless Persons and all the community and legal services whose open letter shows that criminalising poverty helps no one 👇

justiceconnect.org.au/wp-content/u...

But this issue isn't just in NSW, see the changes we've fought for in Victoria 👇

https://rachelpayne.com.au/medicinal-cannabis-driving/

Benn relies on driving to work to care for his family, and he knows others in his local community who’ve already lost their licenses despite having valid medicinal cannabis prescriptions.

His story shows how outdated these laws are, and how unfairly they punish patients.

You can learn more about our state’s history from Museums Victoria’s article on the HIV & AIDS epidemic in Victoria 👇

https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/16911

Today, on World AIDS Day, we remember those we lost to HIV and honour Victoria’s unique history of resilience and community care.

I will always stand beside those fighting for compassionate healthcare and justice.

As a queer woman and a cannabis user, I see this history as a powerful reminder of how our communities have always looked after one another when systems failed to.

It was then that the first public debates about legalising medicinal cannabis began – rooted in compassion, care, and the fight for dignity in the face of stigma.

During the early years of the AIDS epidemic in Australia, cannabis became a lifeline for many.

With few treatments available in the 1980s, patients turned to cannabis to relieve pain, nausea, and loss of appetite.

Sensible reform will make our roads fairer and safer.

Read the article 👉 https://tinyurl.com/49vs8kuv

Learn more about what we're doing and how to support 👉 https://tinyurl.com/bdrcnn75

Yet under zero-tolerance limits, Australians are still at risk of criminal penalties despite being perfectly safe behind the wheel.
It’s time we modernise our drug-driving laws, follow the evidence, and focus on actual impairment, not outdated assumptions.

A hike in the costs to go to work is not in line with reducing cost-of-living pressures and it is not something I can support.

If you rely on car parking in the city - how would a price hike impact you?

Workers who work outside of business hours, who have to travel to the city for work and who don’t have easy access to public transport will be most impacted. As someone who used to work in hospitality and entertainment, working late-nights in the CBD meant I relied on car parking.