Leslie Massey
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Australia, with a culture of use that is described as pretty entrenched. While it is illegal in most of the country, it is available, and its use is widespread. In 2022-2023, almost one in four people aged 20-29 had used cannabis in the previous 12 months, and 3.0% of people aged 14 and over in Australia reported using cannabis for medical purposes. There is growing public support for the legalisation of recreational cannabis, with over half of Australians polled in favour of decriminalisation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cannabis legality in Australia | Illegal in most of Australia, but rules differ between regions. Recreational use is illegal, and medical access is limited and regulated. It is, however, legal for recreational use in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) but illegal everywhere else. |
| Cannabis usage in Australia | Cannabis is a common drug used in Australia, with a significant proportion of the population having used it in the past year. In 2022-2023, 3.0% of people aged 14 and over in Australia reported using cannabis for medical purposes in the previous 12 months. |
| Cannabis culture in Australia | Weed culture is prevalent in Australia, especially among young people and the rich. While some Australians smoke pot, others may not approve of it. |
| Cannabis health effects | Cannabis use can lead to health problems such as addiction, anxiety, sleep difficulties, appetite disturbance, and depression. Heavy cannabis use can potentially cause psychosis. |
| Cannabis and driving | Driving under the influence of cannabis is prohibited in Australia. Random drug tests are conducted on drivers, similar to breath tests for alcohol. |
| Cannabis legalisation efforts | There are ongoing efforts to legalise cannabis in Australia, with activists highlighting the potential economic benefits of a regulated market. Public support for legalisation is growing, with over half of Australians polled in favour of decriminalisation. |
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What You'll Learn
Cannabis laws and legalisation in Australia
Cannabis laws in Australia are complex and vary across states and territories. While the cultivation, production, and supply of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes have been legalised under Australian federal law, the use, supply, and possession of cannabis for personal or recreational purposes remain illegal in most regions.
Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Purposes
In October 2015, the Australian Federal Government announced its intention to legalise the commercial growing of cannabis for medicinal and scientific use. Subsequently, on 24 February 2016, the Australian parliament amended the Narcotic Drugs Act to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for these purposes. These changes came into effect on 1 November 2016. However, accessing medicinal cannabis products still requires special pathways, and doctors must apply for permission to prescribe them.
Personal and Recreational Cannabis Laws
The legality of personal and recreational cannabis use differs across Australia's states and territories. Here's an overview of the regulations in some regions:
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT): In September 2019, the ACT passed the Personal Cannabis Use Bill, which came into effect on 31 January 2020. Under this legislation, adults over 18 can possess up to 50 grams of dried cannabis, 150 grams of wet material, and cultivate two plants per person, with a maximum of four plants per household. However, selling, supplying, or sharing cannabis is still prohibited.
- New South Wales (NSW): Personal cannabis use, supply, and possession are illegal in NSW. First-time offenders caught with less than 15 grams may receive a caution, and referral for drug-related information or intervention programs may be offered instead of a fine. Doctors can prescribe medicinal cannabis if deemed appropriate and with the required approvals.
- South Australia: Simple cannabis offences, such as cultivating one plant without artificial enhancement, possessing up to 100 grams of cannabis, or consuming it in a private place, are punished by fines that do not result in a criminal record.
- Western Australia: The Greens in Western Australia published a plan in February 2025 to legalise cannabis, including decriminalising personal use and possession, legalising growing on private property for personal use, and updating drug-driving laws.
Public Opinion and Legalisation Efforts
Public support for legalising recreational cannabis in Australia has been growing. A 2024 YouGov poll found that over half of Australians polled favoured decriminalisation, especially among younger respondents. Additionally, activists and political parties like the Legalise Cannabis Party have advocated for legalisation, highlighting the potential economic benefits and the negative impact of criminalisation on young people, particularly Aboriginal youth.
While cannabis laws in Australia are evolving, with some states showing a willingness to explore reform, the country's cannabis industry is still in its early stages. The legalisation of recreational cannabis remains a divisive issue, with ongoing debates about the potential benefits and risks associated with its use.
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Cannabis consumption methods
Inhalation
Inhalation is the most common method of cannabis consumption, which involves smoking or vaping the substance. Smoking cannabis involves lighting a cannabis flower and inhaling the smoke, which can be done through joints, blunts, bongs, or pipes. Blunts are similar to joints but use cigar paper instead of rolling papers and typically contain more cannabis. Vaping, on the other hand, involves heating the cannabis flower or concentrate below the point of combustion, turning it into vapour for inhalation. This method is considered healthier than smoking as it releases fewer toxins.
Oral Ingestion
Oral ingestion of cannabis involves consuming cannabis-infused food and drinks, commonly known as edibles. This method of consumption is considered safer than smoking as it does not involve combustion. Edibles can come in the form of beverages, baked goods, or gummies, chocolates, brownies, and traditional Indian drinks like Bhang lassi and Bhang thandai. However, edibles have a delayed onset of effects, which can take up to three hours, and the variability in THC content can be a cause for concern.
Sublingual
Sublingual consumption involves the use of tinctures, which are created by steeping cannabis in alcohol. Tinctures are absorbed through the blood vessels under the tongue, providing a direct route to the bloodstream.
Topical
Topical application of cannabis is a delivery method rather than a consumption method. Topical products allow the absorption of cannabinoids through the skin, providing localized effects for pain or muscle soreness without any psychoactive impact.
The choice of consumption method depends on the user's preference, the desired experience, and the type of cannabis product being used. Each method offers different onset times and durations of effects, with smoking and vaping providing an almost immediate high, while edibles and tinctures have a delayed onset but longer-lasting effects.
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Cannabis health effects
Cannabis use may have a wide range of health effects on the body and brain. The plant contains many different chemical compounds, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which has mind-altering effects. Cannabis products with THC can cause changes in mood, thoughts, and perceptions of reality.
Short-term and long-term effects
There are several short-term and long-term effects of cannabis use, and scientists are still studying many of them. Cannabis can cause altered time perception and impaired thinking, memory, and body movement. It can also lead to physical dependency and problems controlling use.
Mental health
Studies have linked cannabis use to social anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. However, it is unclear if cannabis use causes these mental health disorders or if people with these disorders are more likely to use cannabis. Other studies have linked cannabis use to suicide planning and psychotic episodes.
Physical health
Smoking cannabis may increase blood pressure, raise the heart rate, and increase the risk of heart attack and heart disease. Marijuana smoke contains many of the same harmful components as tobacco smoke.
Fertility
Men who frequently use marijuana may experience a lower libido, decreased seminal fluid, lower sperm count, and/or fewer well-functioning sperm, all of which can adversely affect fertility. In women, marijuana use can disrupt the menstrual cycle and may have adverse effects on fertility.
Pregnancy
Studies suggest that cannabis use during pregnancy may negatively affect fetal brain development and cause problems with attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and behavior in children. Marijuana use during pregnancy may also increase the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. THC may also be passed to a baby through breast milk, further impacting a child's development.
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Cannabis culture in Australia
Cannabis is illegal in most of Australia, but rules differ between regions. Despite this, Australia has one of the highest cannabis prevalence rates in the world. In 2022-2023, 41% of Australians over the age of fourteen had used cannabis in their lifetime, and 11.5% had used it in the last 12 months. The 2004 household survey showed that approximately half of all recent cannabis users used the drug less than once a month, while 16% used it every day. The average number of joints smoked on any one day by regular cannabis users was 3.2.
The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes was legislated by the Australian parliament in 2016, and it was legalised for growing for medicinal and scientific purposes at the federal level in 2017. However, only two medicinal cannabis products, Sativex and Epidyolex, are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and none are subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Doctors who want to prescribe medicinal cannabis have to apply to do so. In 2022-2023, the NDSHS found that 3.0% of people aged 14 and over in Australia reported using cannabis for medical purposes in the previous 12 months, with two-thirds of those people using medical cannabis products.
Public support for recreational cannabis legalisation is growing, with over half of Australians polled in January 2024 in favour of decriminalisation. In February 2025, the Greens in Western Australia published a plan to legalise cannabis, and several Legalise Cannabis MPs joined the MardiGrass 2024 protestival. However, legalisation efforts face challenges.
The small town of Nimbin in New South Wales is known as the cannabis counter-culture capital of Australia. In 1973, the town was inundated with hippies attending the Aquarius Festival, and it has since been a hotspot for alternative social activities, grassroots political discourse, and naturalist, humanist, anarchist, feminist, and new-age philosophies.
Cannabis is the world's most widely used illicit drug, and its use is highly correlated with the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. In Australia, the number and weight of national cannabis seizures have increased over the last decade, with half of all national illicit drug seizures in 2020-21 being for cannabis.
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Cannabis use statistics
Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in Australia, and it is highly correlated with the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. While it is illegal in most of the country, rules differ between regions. For instance, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), it is legal for recreational use, but buying, selling, or distributing is prohibited. In South Australia, simple cannabis offenses, such as possessing up to 100 grams of cannabis or 20 grams of cannabis resin, are punished by a fine that does not result in a criminal record.
Despite the illegality of cannabis in most parts of Australia, it is still deeply entrenched in Australian culture. According to a 2004 household survey, approximately half of all recent cannabis users used the drug less than once a month, while 16% used it daily. The average number of joints smoked by regular users on any one day was 3.2. Between 1995 and 2007, the proportion of people aged 14 years or older who had used cannabis in the previous 12 months declined steadily, with a significant drop between 2004 and 2007.
In 2022-2023, almost one in four people aged 20-29 (23%) had used cannabis in the previous 12 months. Additionally, 3.0% of people aged 14 and over in Australia reported using cannabis for medical purposes in the same period, with a third of them using it exclusively for medical purposes. The use of other drugs with cannabis increased between 2016 and 2019 but declined across all reported drug types by 2022-2023. Alcohol was the most common drug used concurrently with cannabis, with 74% of people aged 14 and over who had recently used cannabis also consuming alcohol.
There is a growing movement advocating for the legalisation of cannabis in Australia. Activists argue that legalisation would bring in billions of dollars in potential tax revenue, which could be spent on essential services like roads, hospitals, and schools. Additionally, supporters of legalisation highlight the negative impact of criminalisation on young people, especially Aboriginal youth, who are overrepresented in the prison system.
While cannabis use can lead to health problems such as addiction, depression, and psychosis, medicinal cannabis is a legal option for patients in Australia. Medicinal cannabis is prescribed by doctors to relieve the symptoms of specific medical conditions and comes in various forms, including flower, oils, and tinctures. However, only two medicinal cannabis products, Sativex and Epidyolex, are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and access to medicinal cannabis can be challenging.
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Frequently asked questions
No, cannabis is illegal in most of Australia, but the rules differ between regions. However, medicinal cannabis is legal and can be prescribed by a doctor.
While cannabis is the most used illicit drug in Australia, it is entrenched in Australian culture and widely consumed. Some people frown upon it, but plenty of others do it, so it's not looked down upon within that subculture.
There is growing public support for the decriminalisation of cannabis in Australia, and the Legalise Cannabis Party has repeatedly called for the legalisation of the substance. In 2021, activists presented $420,000 to Parliament House in Canberra, representing the potential tax revenue from a legal cannabis market. As of 2025, cannabis is legal for recreational use in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) but illegal everywhere else.
Ongoing and regular use of cannabis can lead to health problems such as addiction, anxiety, sleep difficulties, appetite disturbance, and depression. Heavy cannabis use can potentially cause psychosis.
