page_title: Cannabis in Australia
hierarchical_section_title: Cannabis in Australia
caption_attribution_description: English: Mullaways Medical Cannabis' medical crop, used for Cannabinoid research and to produce Australia's first natural Cannabis based medicine, Mullaways Cannabinoid Tincture.
context_page_description: Cannabis is a plant used in Australia for recreational and medicinal use. In 2019 36% of all Australians had used cannabis in their lifetime and 11.6% had used cannabis in the last 12 months.
  Australia has one of the highest cannabis prevalence rates in the world. The country has largely focused on punitive policy in relation to drug laws and has avoided successful harm minimisation strategies that have been established in other countries that have legalised cannabis. Statistics from other countries like the United States and Canada indicate that this tough on drugs prohibition approach may actually be creating more harm than it is preventing. This has led, in recent years, to politicians increasing support towards the legalisation of both recreational and medicinal cannabis, although overall support from major parties is still towards the current punitive approach.
  On 24 February 2016, Australia legalised medicinal cannabis at the federal level.
  On 12 November 2017 Food Standards Australia New Zealand made Low THC Hemp food legal for human consumption in Australia.
context_section_description: Cannabis is a plant used in Australia for recreational and medicinal use. In 2019 36% of all Australians (or a approximately 9.2 million) had used cannabis in their lifetime and 11.6% (or approximately 3 million) had used cannabis in the last 12 months.
  Australia has one of the highest cannabis prevalence rates in the world. The country has largely focused on punitive policy in relation to drug laws and has avoided successful harm minimisation strategies that have been established in other countries that have legalised cannabis. Statistics from other countries like the United States and Canada indicate that this tough on drugs prohibition approach may actually be creating more harm than it is preventing. This has led, in recent years, to politicians increasing support towards the legalisation of both recreational and medicinal cannabis, although overall support from major parties is still towards the current punitive approach.
  On 24 February 2016, Australia legalised medicinal cannabis at the federal level.
  On 12 November 2017 Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) made Low THC Hemp food legal for human consumption in Australia.
  On 25 September 2019, the Australia Capital Territory passed a bill effectively legalising possession and growth of small amounts of cannabis for personal use as of 31 January 2020, although the laws conflict with federal laws which prohibit recreational use of cannabis and the supply of cannabis and cannabis seeds is still illegal.
  Attitudes towards legalising recreational cannabis in Australia are shifting dramatically. 42% of Australians supported cannabis legalisation in 2019, up 9% since 2015. Similarly the majority of Australians aged 14 years and over do not support the possession of cannabis being a criminal offence, 74% in 2016 compared with 66% in 2010.
caption: Medical cannabis crop in Australia
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