The federal territory that encompasses Canberra, the country’s capital, has accepted a bill that will locally legalize low-level possession of currently illegal narcotics like psilocybin, heroin, and cocaine according to an article in Marijuana Moment.
With certain revisions put forth by the government, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly (LA) approved the proposal from Labor Party MP Michael Pettersson by a vote of 13–6.
The law will make it so that possession of tiny amounts of eight narcotics will be punished by a fine, warning, or participation in a drug diversion program instead of going to jail. It will go into effect next year to give law enforcement and officials time to modify policy. If the person voluntarily completes the program, the $100 AUD ($63 USD) fine might be dropped.
The Assembly approved a non-commercial cannabis legalization bill from Pettersson that went into effect in 2020 and permits adults 18 and older to possess and grow marijuana for personal use. ACT already decriminalized marijuana in the early 1990s.
“The war on drugs is a failed policy,” he said. “Across the world, it has destroyed countless lives and decimated whole communities. It’s based on flawed science and misinformation. It has not stopped drug use. It has not reduced drug use.”
