Australia: Canberra legalizes cannabis

Australia's capital Canberra became the first part of the country to legalize cannabis following a historic vote on Tuesday evening. The proposed law had been filed in 2018.

The Personal Cannabis Use Bill has been passed in the ACT Assembly 10/7. A small step forward on drug law reform which is willing to remove criminal sanctions from personal drug use and treat problematic use in the health system where it should be.

- FFDLR (@FFDLR) September 25, 2019

Legislators in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have passed a law allowing people aged 18 and over to possess and grow cannabis for personal use. The new law, passed by the local government, will come into force on January 31, 2020.

Under the new regulations, residents of the territory will be able to legally possess up to 50 grams of cannabis and grow up to two plants per person, or four per household.

Drug laws differ across Australia's states and territories, but possession of small amounts of cannabis is decriminalized. Under current law, growing one or two cannabis plants or possessing 50g (1.76oz) of cannabis is punishable by a fine of AUD$160 (€100), while possessing more than 50g (1.76oz) of cannabis is punishable by a maximum fine of AUD$8,000 (€5,000) and/or two years' imprisonment.

Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug in Australia. Over the 2017-2018 year, more than 72,000 cannabis-related arrests were made in Australia, including 92% among consumers.

Contrary to federal law

The ACT's new law contradicts national drug laws enacted by the Australian Parliament that prohibit cannabis possession. The federal government may eventually overturn the Territory's law.

Indeed, this isn't the first time that ACT laws have come into conflict with national laws. In 2013, the ACT legalized same-sex marriage, subsequently overturned by a ruling from Australia's highest court, which declared the legislation in force to be contrary to national law. The Australian Parliament then passed legislation in 2017 to legalize «marriage for all».

ACT also hosted the first drug-testing facility at a music festival this year, so that consumers can have their products analyzed before taking them.

With regard to cannabis, the Australian Parliament adopted an amendment in 2016. authorizing the cultivation of cannabis for medical use or scientific. The country intends to both make medical cannabis available to its patients and become one of the world's largest cannabis exporters in the world.