Cannabis in the ACT: what you need to know

The Australian Capital Territory has recently passed legislation legalising cannabis. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation have published an article that summarises these changes titled “Cannabis in the ACT: what you need to know”.

The article outlines what is now legal, as of January 2020, under this new territory legislation regarding cannabis use. This includes possession of "personal use" quantities and growing two plants per person with a maximum of four plants per household.  

The article then outlines what is still illegal in the ACT regarding cannabis. This includes to supply or sell cannabis (including seeds), growing cannabis in a publicly accessible space, smoking cannabis under 18 years of age or near a person who is under 18, smoking cannabis in public, not storing cannabis out of reach of children and driving under the influence.

The authors highlight the possible implications of these laws by pointing out that although territory level laws have changed, Commonwealth legislation remains unchanged. Therefore, it is unclear what this means on the ground for law enforcement and for those wanting to possess and use cannabis legally. There is confusion as to whether consumers could still be charged under Commonwealth laws.

Go to “Cannabis in the ACT: what you need to know”