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Federal Government Might Overturn ACT's 'Trendy' And 'Dangerous' New Cannabis Law

Federal Government Might Overturn ACT's 'Trendy' And 'Dangerous' New Cannabis Law

The ACT recently legalised possessing 50 grams of weed as well as growing two plants.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

People seemed pretty happy this week when the Australian Capital Territory decided to legalise cannabis for punters.

While it's still illegal to sell it to anyone, people over the age of 18 are now able to walk around the nation's capital and surrounding areas with 50 grams of the green stuff as well as grow two plants on your property.

There were a few amendments surround safety, namely keeping it out of reach of children and not planting the seeds in a community garden. But the ACT was largely praised by advocates as leading the way on cannabis for trying to ensure people aren't being locked up for low level offences.

PA

Well, it seems like this hype and excitement might be short lived as the federal government has announced an investigation into whether it stacks up legally.

It is a tricky situation whenever something like this happens as authorities have to juggle federal and local laws to try and work out whether someone has to be fined or go to jail.

Home affairs minister Peter Dutton has told 2GB radio station: "I think it might be trendy for the ACT government to go down this path, and they'll say they're enlightened and progressive and all the rest of it. But I think it's dangerous...[Attorney General] Christian Porter is having a look at it at the moment."

'Trendy' is a strange word to use for the legalisation of cannabis.

Sure, there have been loads of states and countries around the world who have either decriminalised or legalised it, but that certainly doesn't mean it's 'trendy'.

PA

The word implies that eventually smoking weed will go out of trend and then the ACT will be stuck with a law that isn't in their best interests.

Mr Porter told the 6PR radio: "If you're in the ACT waking up today and you want to possess marijuana, be careful, because there are commonwealth laws that still apply.

He added to the Guardian that he thought the move was 'a very bad idea' but he will be looking into 'what issues may arise to the enforcement of existing commonwealth laws that criminalise the possession of prohibited drugs, including marijuana'.

But don't get too worried if you've already started growing your plants because the ACT's chief minister doesn't think the law will be changed.

Andrew Barr told ABC's Radio National: "Does anyone seriously think the commonwealth DPP [director of public prosecutions] is going to spend all of their time, or a considerable amount of their time, prosecuting individuals in the ACT for the possession of less than 50 grams of cannabis."

Let's hope so.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Drugs, Australia, politics