This weekend, new laws on decriminalising the possession of illicit drugs will kick off in the ACT, being the first jurisdiction of doing it in Australia.

It means anyone in the territory caught with small quantities of illegal drugs for personal use could be fined $100 or diverted to health education, instead of being arrested.

While advocates are pushing further, the opposition say it is a red carpet for drugs. 

Image: Photo by GRAS GRÜN on Unsplash

Produced By: Frank Bonaccorso

Featured In Story: Chris Gough – Executive Director of the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy

First aired on The Wire, Friday 27 October 2023