Health campaign as laws to legalise cannabis possession in ACT edge closer

The ACT government will run ads on accessing drug support services and the legal implications of the new laws in the coming weeks.

It also appears to be softening its language around the bill, claiming cannabis possession won't be legalised, just decriminalised. That contradicts previous communications from MLAs and ministers who have said the laws legalise cannabis for personal use.

The laws will come into effect on February 1 and allow adults to possess up to 50 grams of dry cannabis or cultivate two plants at home.

It will be an offence to smoke or use cannabis in a public place or expose a child to cannabis smoke. Hydroponic setups will still be illegal.

An ACT government spokeswoman said the campaign involved the justice directorate and ACT Health. The live campaign focuses on what the legal changes mean, while the health campaign will begin on January 31.

"The campaign takes a harm minimisation approach, aiming to support people who are taking drugs and their family and friends to access information and support," she said.

"It also aims to eliminate confusion and misinformation about the health impacts on cannabis use and to enable informed decision-making behaviour."

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Information on how to access alcohol and drug support services will be promoted throughout the campaign across social media and digital advertising.

The bill, passed in September, clashes with Commonwealth law so police will still have an option to charge people under those laws. It could mean the laws will be tested in court to decide whether ACT laws protect people from the Commonwealth Criminal Code.

The federal government flagged the possibility of federal intervention to overturn the laws, labeling them "crazy". But the ACT government says it has not sent or received correspondence from the Commonwealth on the matter since October.