In this episode of Give & Toke, we sit down with Victorian MP Rachel Payne, for an insightful conversation that marks two years since entering parliament along with 50 episodes of this show.
We discuss the transition from Dan Andrews to Jacinta Allan and what it means for cannabis reform (3:00). We talk about the recent win for Victorian patients who drive (5:45), before looking back at two years of navigating hemp reform, pill testing, relationships, compromise, and the importance of evolving and letting go (15:00).
We dive into the critical topic of housing affordability and the other challenges facing her electorate of over 600,000 South-East Melburnians (28:00). Rachel highlights the importance of giving a voice to underrepresented groups and how this informs her work in office (33:30).
The conversation also turns to the impact of social media and shadow bans on modern politics (37:55), before turning to Fiona Patten’s return to the scene (41:50). We play a quick quiz entitled Rachel Profiling (45:00) before diving into the big issues on the horizon for 2025, including personal use and workplace drug testing (50:00).
Rachel also touches on the role of medicinal cannabis companies and their social responsibilities (60:00), as well as how she maintains motivation in the face of political disappointment (66:00). Finally, we wrap up with some listener questions where we learn what type of cannabis product David Ettershank would be (71:00).
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