A 2024 report by the Penington Institute claimed that cannabis has become an integral part of the criminal economy, representing a $5 billion black market in Australia that generates massive profits for transnational gangs.
“It’s shocking … how integrated it is to criminal networks. It’s an own goal for us. Police are already really busy. Cannabis is a health problem, not a law and order problem”, Penington Institute’s CEO, John Ryan, said.
Ryan argued that regulating cannabis use instead of prohibiting it would undermine the criminal market.
