Australia legalized the use of marijuana for recreation

Canberra, the capital of Australia, will be the first region in the country to legalize the use of cannabis for recreational purposes. Adults will be allowed to transport up to 50 grams of dried cannabis and grow cannabis plants, but no more than four copies per family.

For the legalization of cannabis for personal use voted the Legislative Assembly of the capital of Australia on Wednesday, September 25, writes the Independent. The new law will come into force on 31 January, 2020. The voting wasn’t smooth: The opposition opposed the bill, arguing that the change would encourage marijuana use and lead to more drug-induced psychoses. However, the Attorney General of the Assembly, Gordon Ramsey, stated that the time had come to view drug addiction as a health problem and not as a “right and wrong” problem.

The new law introduces a number of restrictions on licit drug use from the outset. In particular, he requires adults not to use marijuana in the presence of children and to keep it out of their reach. Besides, the owners of cannabis can only use it for personal use – it neither can be sold, nor simply made available to anyone else. It is allowed to grow no more than four plants in one household, regardless of the number of family members.

Storage of small amounts of marijuana had previously been decriminalized throughout Australia, but Canberra was the first of Australia’s eight states and territories to take the next step towards its legalization.

Medical marijuana has been available in Australia for patients with prescription drugs since 2017, the publication reports and notices that the Australian capital is known for its liberal drug policy.