Cannabis advocate and political activist Nic Daniels says he believes Cape York could be home to emerging cannabis farms due to its climate and environment. Photo: Supplied.
With more than 25,000 uses for the cannabis plant, the candidate flying the flag for the Legalise Cannabis Party (LCP) says it is time for voters to stop viewing it as a “joke” and instead consider the economic potential it could help Cape York unlock.
Nicholas (Nic) Daniels is a cannabis advocate and political activist with more than three decades’ experience under his belt, and said he was proud to be representing the LCP as its Leichhardt hopeful.
“Now, more than ever, there are many people who are prepared to openly show their support of our party,” he told Cape York Weekly.
“Our drive is to make positive green change for Australia; with cannabis, we can grow houses, create fully biodegradable plastics, and grow biofuel for automotive and aviation industries.
“With more than 25,000 uses of the one plant, it is time for real change.”
Mr Daniels said be believed the LCP and its supporters were misunderstood by the mainstream voting public, and said the party valued body autonomy and freedom of choice, as well Cape York and the Torres Strait being supported and included more frequently in the political debate.
“My priorities for the Far North are inclusion and support,” he said.
“We all know how little we are included in state and federal budgets – you just have to look at the lack of services and remoteness of where we live.
“I would like to see tax breaks for FNQ businesses, so that food and other products are not nearly as expensive, perhaps have the freight costs billed to the state; I also want to encourage, include and support any and all business or communities that wish to make a start in the cannabis industries.
“I feel most people misunderstand the LCP; as soon as many people hear the word ‘cannabis’, they tend to treat us as a bit of a joke; we … stand for body autonomy and freedom of choice.
“Yes, we have members who are all about recreational consumption, and that’s okay for them; I’m more about the common sense of the whole thing – cannabis has not killed anyone in recorded history, [but] the same cannot be said of alcohol, tobacco, coffee or even driving a vehicle.”
Mr Daniels said he believed a thriving cannabis industry across Cape York could help deliver untold social and economic benefits to one of the remotest parts of the Leichhardt electorate.
“Cannabis grows everywhere that is not arctic environments,” he said.
“The Far North, as we all know, is like living in a giant greenhouse – plants positively thrive up here.
“In the Cape, I’d like to see community-owned and operated cannabis farms; the remoteness of the Cape would be a benefit to this idea, instead of being left out.
“We could replace cotton and pine forestry with cannabis, reducing the water, fertilizer and pesticides that are used; we could also crop three times per year; we could also jump onboard the cannabis tourism market sweeping the world and cash in on some of those cannabis tourism dollars.”
Mr Daniels secured the coveted number one spot on the ballot paper following the candidate order draw on 11 and said he was thrilled to appear ahead of his nine political opponents.
