Both major parties have expressed reluctance to begin pill testing at music festivals, despite the Greens pledging to trial the practice to stop young people overdosing.
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Countries outside of Australia have begun testing ecstasy, MDMA, and other recreational drugs at music festivals.
Public health experts say the practice helps protect revellers from bad or dangerous substances, reducing the number of overdoses.
On Tuesday, the Greens announced they would push to trial pill testing at festivals, saying too many young people were being put at risk.
The proposal provoked an attack from the Liberals, who said it would "effectively allow illegal drug dealers to certify their dangerous products".
"Legitimising the consumption of dangerous illegal drugs while sending the message to drug dealers that all is well with their enterprises is blatantly irresponsible," Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said.
"This plan is dangerous and it sends the wrong message about illegal drugs to people considering taking them as well as drug dealers who don't care about the welfare of users," Mr Hanson said.
But University of NSW drug researcher Monica Barratt said the evidence contradicted that view.
Dr Barratt said testing made dealing dodgy drugs much harder, and led to an increased discard rate, because more people were throwing away their drugs when they found out what was in them.
She said there was "absolutely" precedents for giving an amnesty to drug users for public health reasons.
"There's precedent for that, the Sydney injecting room is one," Dr Barratt said.
"I think it's not unprecedented for police to collaborate with health and welfare workers, for us all to work together, and do so for a public health reason."
Labor were less scathing of the Greens' proposal, but were far from offering support.
They said pill testing was "not a government endorsed approach" and that the possession of drugs remains an offence.
"The ACT Government is committed to its harm-minimisation approach to illicit drugs, and is constantly looking at ways to better reduce harm, reduce supply and reduce demand," a spokesman for Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
"There is currently no law prohibiting the creation, possession or supply of drug-testing kits. Permission to set up a stall at a music festival or event would require the corporation of the festival organisers, the venue owners, the relevant insurers and security providers," he said.
"However, it is not a government endorsed approach – and the possession of illicit drugs remains an offence within the context of a harm minimisation approach."
In response, Greens Brindabella candidate Michael Mazengarb accused the Liberal party of dog-whistling, instead of backing measures to save lives.
Mr Mazengarb described the stance as "politics at its worst".
"To use Mr Hanson's words, what is 'blatantly irresponsible' is denying young people access to technology that could quite literally save their lives if they are taking contaminated pills," he said.
"The Liberals won't do anything that they don't think will help them win. That's politics at its worst - and the Liberals are letting down young people, and their families, whose health and lives may be put at risk.
"Canberrans elect members to the Legislative Assembly to put the community first on tough issues like drug use, health and safety. Instead what we've seen from the Liberals is that they are only interested in putting the Liberals first, and the community last."
