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SYDNEY LAW SCHOOL

Australia’s Role in Reforming the UN Drug Conventions to Allow Cannabis Regulation

Friday 21st November 2025

Level 1

Space 60 people

https://studentvip.com.au/usyd/main/maps/142372/levels/16932

Arranged By

Media Sponsor

Contact

Sean Hocking – hocking.sean@gmail.com

The International Cannabis Symposium 2026 brings together leading academics, policymakers, legal experts, and industry professionals to address the foundational challenges in cannabis and hemp policy development. Our theme emphasizes the need for equitable, evidence-based approaches to cannabis regulation worldwide.

AGENDA

10am -10.15am: Sean & Atiyyah – Introductions, Thanks,  Why’s, What’s & How’s.

10.15  Ben Mostyn Host: Sydney Law School Presentation “Australia, cannabis, and the UN”

LLB (UNSW) MA (South Florida)

Academic Fellow

Sydney Law School

Mr Mostyn’s primary research interest is global drug policy. His PhD is examining National Archives documents around Australia’s decision to sign the 1988 United Nations drug convention. He is looking at whether global forces and institutional forces caused Australia to sign the convention and further entrench the global War on Drugs. Related to this research, Mr Mostyn is interested in criminalisation, police powers, drug law reform and regulating global drug markets.

Mr Mostyn has worked as a Legal Aid solicitor in human rights law, administrative law, and family law. He completed his Masters at the University of South Florida where he researched transnational social movements and the War on Drugs with a focus on South America.

10-45 – 11.30 Panel

The rise of cannabis politics in Australia. The good, the bad, the ugly. How can its experience inform International bodies & other jurisdictions?

Moderator: Brian Walker Cannabis Party (WA)

Member of the Legislative Council for Western Australia

General Practitioner in Claremont

MB, ChB MRCGP, RACGP

After practicing medicine for many years in many different countries, with front-line experience treating patients in hospitals, emergency departments, and general practice. I settled in the Perth Hills as GP at Serpentine Medical Centre.

Now, as a Member of Parliament, I know that far too many of our current laws are archaic, while others are unfit for purpose. High-level decisions have been made without adequate medical-scientific understanding, based often on fear rather than knowledge.

Leveraging modern medical research and data, my passion is to improve medical, mental, financial, social, and physical wellness across the community.

PANEL

David Shoebridge Greens

David Shoebridge is an Australian Greens Senator for New South Wales, elected to the federal Senate in 2022 after serving in the NSW Legislative Council from 2010 to 2022.

A former barrister specializing in employment and discrimination law, he is now a spokesperson for the Greens in the portfolios of Justice, Defence and Veterans’ Affairs, and Digital Rights.

Before his parliamentary career, he was also a Woollahra Municipal Councillor from 2004 to 2012

Rachel Payne Cannabis Party (Vic)

South-Eastern Metropolitan

Legal Cannabis Victoria

Legislative Council

Prior to entering Parliament, Rachel was the executive of EROS Association and held leadership, project management, policy and research roles with the Family Court of Australia and Centrelink. Rachel holds postgraduate qualifications in public policy and an undergraduate degree in sociology and politics. She is also an acclaimed performer, travelling internationally to perform as Freckles Blue in Paris and London. Rachel has extensive experience in advocacy and campaigning, including successfully campaigning to end financial discrimination against small business, gaining the support of the Ombudsman.

Rachel put her hand up to run for Parliament for Legalise Cannabis Victoria as she believes it is time for law reform in this space. She is keen to initiate the conversation more broadly around the role of cannabis as the future for environmental ingenuity and creation.

Rachel has a keen interest in political processes and practices, is an advocate for women’s rights and equality, inclusivity, and progressive social and community development. She is also passionate about solutions to homelessness, particularly in regard to young people, and has lived experience after instability in home-life meant Rachel was independent from 16 years of age. She is a fierce advocate for cannabis law reform and is actively involved in the LGBTIQ community.

Cate Faermann Greens (NSW)

Member of the Legislative Council

Member of The Greens

Term of service expires 59th Parliament (07 Mar 2031)

Cate has a long history as an activist for women’s rights and the environment. She’s been on the front lines with the LGBTIQ+ community in the fight for equality, an unwavering voice for dying with dignity, and has fought for animal welfare.

Cate was previously a member of parliament from 2010-2013, and most recently was Chief of Staff for parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens, Dr Richard Di Natale.

She has been active in many environmental and social justice organisations, including as Chair of Sea Shepherd Australia, Executive Director of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, founding director of GetUp! and on the board of the Environmental Defenders Office NSW.

Daniel Rathner Indicated Legal

Daniel Rathner is the founder and Director of Indicated Legal based in Melbourne, Australia.

Daniel works with many businesses across the supply chain, including sponsors, cultivators, manufacturers, importers, distributors, medical practitioners and clinics, pharmacists and testing laboratories.

Offering practical and strategic advice, Daniel assists his clients throughout the life of their enterprises, from corporate structuring and establishment, licensing, commercial contracts and deal flow through to corporate governance, regulatory compliance and acquisition or exit events.

Daniel has also assisted a number of international businesses enter the Australian market.

11.30 Coffee

11.45 – 12.15 Presentation – Melanie Wentzel Prowling Tigress: A she-cosystem of underutilised power & a paucity of political champions – The unmet potential of women in cannabis policy.

Women lead cannabis advocacy globally, prowling at the edges of cannabis policy, marking our territory (storytelling), protecting our cubs (advocacy), and establishing territory (with social influence) – but rarely deliver the final strike in the hunt for policy reform. The great prowl does matter but only goes so far without the final strike. Policy reform requires political positioning, where women are underrepresented especially in the cannabis agenda – this too needs to change. It is time for the hungry-for-change prowlers and cannabis’s political champions to assemble and rise. It is time for political champions to recognise the unique and untapped power of women’s groups; and for women’s groups to raise their gaze, organise, and make more strategic political advances. We must hunt as one.

Healthcare Strategist, Cannabis & Womens Health Thought Leader, Bestselling Author

Melanie Wentzel has committed her career to health system reform and the improvement of health and care for communities in Australia and abroad. She has a rare talent for the meaningful implementation of innovative, person-centred systems, and is deeply passionate about high-performing healthcare; and the potential of medicinal cannabis to reduce pressure on health systems by addressing chronic condition symptom load, improving quality of life, and creating more activated patients – reducing the requirement for medical intervention.

As Cannim’s Healthcare Strategy Lead, Melanie builds transformational relationships between public health and the cannabis industry through research, education, and advocacy, connecting the dots for practitioners and patients alike. Prior to specialising in cannabis, Melanie delivered over $10M in government and privately funded healthcare transformation projects, for Federal and State Governments, private and not-for-profits, and for Australia’s Medical Colleges.

The author of Cannabis Queens, and #1 bestselling author of A Love Letter to Women in Business (from Women Making a Difference), she is also twice published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Melanie is a recipient of the Women Changing the World Emerging Global Leader Award 2024 (Awarded by the Duchess of York), and has been featured in Forbes Magazine, and on the cover of CIO Times, among others. She is an appointed judge of the national cannabis industry (Cannabiz) awards, and is an oft-invited speaker at international events including MJBizCon, and recently as the Keynote for the Icelandic Hemp Association’s National Conference.

A Bachelor of Psychological Science, she is an experienced Healthcare Strategist, Project- and Operations Manager, and a graduate of Griffith University, The Australian Institute of Company Directors, and the Harvard Medical School Executive Education Program.

+ Helen Kapalos In Discussion

Helen Kapalos Is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, recognised journalist and motivational speaker and facilitator.

In addition to her extensive career in media, Helen served a four year term as Victoria’s principal Multicultural Commissioner where she championed social justice reform for marginalised and disadvantaged communities.

An accomplished journalist, presenter and executive producer with over 20 years’ experience, Helen directed, produced and appeared in a ground breaking film on medical cannabis. The film was acquired by Netflix and SBS Television and was screened nationally to Australian audiences.

A recognised national news broadcaster, she has extensive experience across several media organisations, and in her time as a broadcaster worked for all three Australian commercial networks and both public broadcasters.

12-20 – 12.45 -1pm –  Presentation – Atiyyah Ferouz The Great Compliance Gap: Australia’s Regulations vs The Rest of the World

Transitioning to the cannabis industry in 2018, I have spent the past 7 years finding ways to drive the industry forward, whether it’s educating the newest additions to the cannabis space, consulting producers in emerging markets, or launching an international cannabis quality association.

At the ICQSA (International Cannabis Quality Standards Association) we are focused on the globalization of the cannabis supply chain. Our association contributes to this mission through the development of best practice guides and the advisement of policymakers in emerging markets.

At AgCann, our goal is to help cannabis producers bridge the gap between where they are, and where they want to be. We utilize our expertise in operations, quality assurance, and tissue culture to help producers develop or optimize their processes.

In addition to my entrepreneurial efforts, I am an active thought leader in the cannabis space, frequently participating in webinars, workshops, and speaking at global cannabis event

1pm- 2pm Lunch

2pm – 3pm. Panel

Achieving Drug Law Reform: The Experience in WA and NSW

Moderator: Ben Mostyn

PANEL

Alex Wodak

Dr Alex Wodak was the Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at Sydney’s St. Vincent’s Hospital from 1982 to 2012. He’s currently President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation.

Alex was also President of the International Harm Reduction Association from 1996 to 2004. He helped establish the first needle syringe programme and the first medically supervised injecting centre in Australia when both were pre-legal. Dr Wodak often works in developing countries on HIV control among injecting drug users. He contributed in 2011 to the Global Commission on Drug Policy. He is a Director of Australia21 and contributed to their report on drug policy. In 2010, Dr Wodak was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Greg Barnes

Greg Barns SC graduated BA LLB from Monash University in 1984. He was a member of the Victorian Bar where he practiced in criminal law from 1986-89 and has been a member of the Tasmanian Bar since 2003. He is also a member of the Victorian, Western Australian and New Zealand Bars. Greg was chief of staff and senior adviser to a number of federal and state Liberal Party leaders and ministers from 1989-99.

He is also the former National Chair of the Australian Republican Movement and was National President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance in 2011-12. He is chair of the Tasmanian Prisoners Legal Service. Greg is an adviser to the Australian Assange Campaign, he writes a weekly column in the Hobart Mercury and regularly writes on legal policy issues for Fairfax Media.  Greg is a Tasmanian Patron of the national Justice Reform Initiative. Greg is a lecturer in the LLB/JD programs at RMIT University.

Geoff Gallup

Emeritus Professor The Hon Dr Geoff Gallop AC was a Member of Western Australia’s Legislative Assembly for 20 years, a Minister in the Lawrence government (1990-93), including Minister for Education and Premier from 2001 to 2006. He was Director of Sydney University’s Graduate School of Government (2006-15) developing programs and teaching in the area of public sector policy and management in Australia, Africa and South-East Asia.

From 2007-11 he was Deputy Chair of the COAG Reform Council. Today he is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and chairs the Research Committee of the New Democracy Foundation.

3 – 3.30pm Fiona Patten

Fiona was first elected to Victoria’s State Parliament in 2014 and re-elected for a second term in 2018.

During those eight years she was a champion for social justice and cannabis law reform. She established a medicinal cannabis taskforce in the first major attempt to fix the ridiculous Roadside Drug Testing laws and then was the driving force behind the Inquiry into the Use of Cannabis in Victoria.

“I went into parliament in 2014 as the first MP to speak about using cannabis. Cannabis reform has always been high on my to do list and is unfinished business for me. To open up law reform in the states we need to change the federal law and I intend to do just that”.  ..and she was the first political party leader to admit using cannabis regularly to relax!

3.30- 4pm

Wrap up – discussion – creating multidisciplinary Australian working group(s)

Hosted by Sean, Ben & Atiyyah