CANBERRA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has become the country's first jurisdiction to legalize personal use of cannabis.
The ACT Legislative Assembly recently voted to legalize the possession, use and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis.
The laws, which will come into effect on Jan. 31, 2020, allow possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis per person and a maximum of four cannabis plants per household.
However, the drug will still remain illegal under federal laws - meaning that users in the ACT could still face legal risks when growing or smoking it.
"This does not entirely remove the risk of people being arrested under Commonwealth law, and we are being up front with the community about that," the ACT's Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
"The ACT's legislation attempts to provide a clear and specific legal defence to an adult who possesses small amounts of cannabis in the ACT, but is prosecuted under Commonwealth law," Ramsay said.
"But unfortunately it cannot stop someone being arrested and charged if the Commonwealth officials were minded to do so, or prosecuted if the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions thought it were appropriate to do so," he said.
ACT Policing has promised to support the government on the new laws, indicating that it will focus less on consumers on cannabis and more on organized crime selling large quantities of the drug.
The bill was introduced to the Legislative Assembly by Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson.
"Some members of the community may wish this bill went further, such as establishing a market for the sale of small amounts of cannabis," Pettersson told the Legislative Assembly.
"This would not be possible under current federal law, and has never been the purpose of this bill."
"This bill is simply about legalizing cannabis for personal use," he said.
