Cannabis law in Australian Capital Territory (2026)

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

In short: In the ACT, adults aged 18 or over may possess up to 50 g of dried cannabis (150 g harvested) and grow up to two plants each, with a limit of four per home. Selling or supplying cannabis and smoking it in public are offences. Driving with a prescribed drug in the oral fluid or blood is an offence.

RuleWhat applies
Possession for personal usePersonal use by an adultPermitted within limits [1]
Quantity limitsPersonal use by an adultAdults aged 18 or over may possess up to 50 g of dried cannabis or 150 g of harvested cannabis in the ACT. [2]
Growing at homePersonal use by an adultPermitted within limits [1]
Sale to consumersPersonal use by an adultProhibited [1]
Use or carrying in public placesPersonal use by an adultProhibited [1]
Medical cannabisPersonal use by an adultLegal for medical use [3]
VisitorsPersonal use by an adultForeigners expressly covered [1]
Minimum agePersonal use by an adult18 years [1]
Purchase limit in licensed shopsPersonal use by an adult⚠ Not yet verified
Driving after cannabis usePersonal use by an adultIt is an offence to drive a motor vehicle on a road or road related area, or to be a driver trainer in one, with a prescribed drug in the oral fluid or blood. The Act refers expressly to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in section 20(4). Maximum penalty for a first offence: 25 penalty units. [4]

Notes

  • The small quantity is set by the Drugs of Dependence Regulation 2009 (50 g dried, 150 g harvested). Possessing more than that is an offence (maximum 50 penalty units, imprisonment for 6 months or both, section 171AA(2)). Possession by a person under 18 is an offence.
  • The exemption itself is in section 171AA(3) of the Drugs of Dependence Act 1989; the weights come from the regulation. Cannabis must also be stored out of reach of children (section 171AAC).
  • Cultivation must be by a person aged 18 or over, in the ACT, and not more than 4 plants may be grown at the same premises. Cultivating away from where the person lives, or in an area the public can lawfully reach, is an offence (section 171AAB). Section 162(3) excludes artificial cultivation (hydroponic, or with artificial light or heat) from the meaning of cultivating in that section.
  • Selling, supplying or possessing cannabis for sale is an offence (maximum 500 penalty units, imprisonment for 5 years or both) unless authorised under the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008 or another territory law.
  • Maximum penalty 30 penalty units in each case. Section 171AB covers smoking and vapour from cannabis products.
  • Most medicinal cannabis products need Therapeutic Goods Administration approval; products containing Schedule 8 controlled medicines also need ACT Chief Health Officer approval. Raw botanical cannabis that is smoked or consumed cannot be prescribed or supplied. The page was read as an Internet Archive snapshot because the live page returned 403.
  • Section 171AA(3) applies to any person aged 18 or over who possesses cannabis in the ACT; it does not mention residence. It does not cover cannabis outside the ACT.
  • No lawful retail sale of cannabis exists in the ACT, so no purchase limit applies.
  • The prescribed drugs are set by regulation, which was not read; section 20(4) refers to THC in oral fluid or blood.

Sources

  1. ACT Parliamentary Counsel (ACT Legislation Register): Drugs of Dependence Act 1989 (Republication No 42, effective 16 November 2025) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources
  2. ACT Parliamentary Counsel (ACT Legislation Register): Drugs of Dependence Regulation 2009 (Republication No 3) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources
  3. ACT Government: Prescribing and supplying medicinal cannabis - ACT Government (Internet Archive snapshot of 28 November 2025) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources
  4. ACT Parliamentary Counsel (ACT Legislation Register): Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977 (Republication No 53, effective 26 November 2025) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources

National rules that also apply

These rules are set at national level in Australia and apply here too, alongside the rules above. All national rules for Australia

Quantity limitsThere is no single national rule. Possession, cultivation and use of cannabis are mostly governed by state and territory law, and those laws differ. (source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
Medical cannabisLegal for medical use (source: Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA))

More rules in Australian Capital Territory

  • E-scootersUse on public roads: Yes, mainly footpaths and shared paths
  • Car speed limitsBuilt-up areas: 50 km/h
  • Deposit return schemes and plastic bagsNational deposit return scheme in operation: Yes, container deposit scheme · Deposit per container: 10c refund
  • Minimum age for a car driving licenceMinimum age for a car licence: 17 (provisional licence) · Earliest age to drive a car supervised: 15 years 9 months, with a supervisor
  • Driving after drugsApproach to cannabis (THC): Prescribed drug in system is an offence · THC threshold: Any THC present
  • E-bikes and speed pedelecsLegal class: Same rights as bicycles
  • FireworksConsumers may buy and use category F2 fireworks: No (licence or permit needed)
  • Foreign driving licencesOverseas licence valid for a visitor: Yes, while a visitor · Overseas licence after becoming a resident: Permanent visa: ACT licence after 3 months
  • Home educationLegal status of home education: Registration required · Nature of the parental duty: School or registration
  • Knives and pepper sprayFolding pocket knives: Offence without reasonable excuse · Locking or one-handed knives: Flick and butterfly knives prohibited
  • MopedsLicence: Motorcycle licence (class R)
  • Motorcycles: helmets and licencesHelmet required for the rider: Yes · Helmet required for a passenger: Yes
  • Paid holidayMinimum paid leave a year (weeks): 4 weeks (5 for some shiftworkers) · Minimum paid leave as the law states it: 4 weeks a year; extra week for some shiftworkers
  • Using a mobile phone while drivingHolding a phone while driving banned: Banned · Hands-free use: Mounted or untouched; L/P: no voice use
  • Seat belts and child seatsSeat belt compulsory in front seats: Yes · Seat belt compulsory in rear seats: Yes
  • Smoke alarms in homesSmoke alarm legally required in homes: Yes, compulsory · Minimum alarms and where: On or near the ceiling in bedrooms or in the corridor that leads to bedrooms, installed as per the manufacturer's instructions and the National Construction Code. A multi-level home needs smoke alarms on each level, interconnected.
  • Tobacco and nicotine age limitsMinimum age to buy tobacco: 18 · Minimum age to buy e-cigarettes: 18
  • Towing trailers and caravansTrailer mass allowed with a car licence in any combination: Up to 9,000 kg GVM
  • Drinking age and alcohol salesMinimum age to buy beer and wine: 18 · Minimum age to buy spirits: 18
  • Drink-driving limitsBlood alcohol limit for ordinary drivers: 0.05% · Lower limit for novice or young drivers: 0.00% (zero)

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General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.