A new study has shed light on just how many Aussies are keen to see weed decriminalised and, spoiler alert, it's a lot.
The National Drug Strategy Household Survey has published its findings from 2019 and it shows a whopping 15.9 million Australians are in favour of seeing the drug removed as a punishable offence.
Technically, the survey took answers from 22,274 citizens aged over 14 and extrapolated them to a national number.
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The proportion of the population keen to see a change in drug laws has been steadily increasing over the years from 66 per cent in 2010 to 78 per cent in this latest survey.
There's a tiny disparity in the sexes, with males at 79 per cent keen on decriminalisation versus 77 per cent for women.
Interestingly, the youngest and oldest respondents were the least in favour of the idea, with it being most popular, unsurprisingly, being those aged between 18 to 24.
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Citizens aged 25 to 29 and 50 to 59 weren't far behind the top spot either, showing decriminalisation is supported in the older generation.
Australia has a long history of remaining firm against the ganja, however there are hints that the tide is slowly turning.
The ACT became the first jurisdiction in the country to allow people to have up to 50 grams of weed on their person and they can now grow up to two plants.
It's still illegal to cultivate a plant via artificial means, smoke or possess the drug under the age of 18, be under the influence of it when operating a vehicle, and sell it to others.
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But it was the first step towards decriminalisation and eventually legalisation.
The New South Wales Greens have submitted a bill trying to legalise the plant across the state, however it faces an uphill battle with a conservative government in power.
The Queensland government has asked for the public's opinion on the matter and more than 13,000 people have signed the petition supporting a decriminalising or legalising of weed.
The leader of a pro-marijuana political party claims there could be a massive increase in employment if weed was legalised due to the amount of retailers, manufacturers and farmers involved in the process.
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Leader of the HEMP party, Michael Balderstone, said: "I reckon there's 100,000 jobs just waiting to happen in Australia, if they allowed smaller licenses, you know, instead of a huge corporations growing 20 acres of weed and employing 50 people."
More than $1.1 billion is spent every year policing cannabis in Australia.
However, if the drug was legalised then there could be potential tax revenues exceeding $2 billion a year, according to projections from the Green party.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Australia