Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

DRUGS OF DEPENDENCE ACT 1989 - SECT 171AA

    (1)     A person commits an offence if the person possesses not more than a small quantity of cannabis.

Maximum penalty: 1 penalty unit.

    (2)     A person commits an offence if the person possesses more than a small quantity of cannabis.

Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units, imprisonment for 6 months or both.

    (3)     Subsection (1) does not apply if the person—

        (a)     is 18 years old or older; and

        (b)     possesses the cannabis in the ACT.

    (4)     Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply if the person is authorised under the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008

, or another territory law, to possess the cannabis.

Note     The defendant has an evidential burden in relation to the matters mentioned in s (3) and s (4) (see Criminal Code

, s 58).