ACT drug decriminalisation bill to return to Legislative Assembly in September

Members of the Assembly began debate on the proposed laws to decriminalise small amounts of illicit drugs on Wednesday afternoon.

Labor and the Greens were accused of "grandstanding" by the opposition in the debate as members from both parties put forward amendments to the bill put forward by Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson.

Greens drug harm minimisation spokesman Johnathan Davis moved amendments to the bill calling on the government to remove punitive responses to drug possession.

Under the proposed legislation, people could receive a $100 fine or be sent to a drug diversion program if they are caught with drugs within an allowable amount.

The government would also introduce a new offence where possessing multiple kinds of drugs, which total more than two "small quantities", could result in a $8000 fine or six months in prison.

"By retaining a punitive response to drug possession we maintain a system that stigmatises people who use drugs," Mr Davis said.

"While the Chief Minister and the Health Minister have continuously stated that they support a health response to drug use the proposed legislation before the assembly is unlikely to realise that vision."

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Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith indicated she would not support Mr Davis' amendments.

She said the government had sought to alleviate police concerns that decriminalisation could inadvertently lead to drug trafficking.

Ms Stephen-Smith has proposed amendments to the legislation around possession limits. Under Mr Pettersson's bill, there would be a possession limit of 2 grams for cocaine, ice and heroin and 0.5 for ecstasy.

Proposed government amendments to the bill would include replacing the language of "possession limits" to "small quantities" and new thresholds would be introduced.

"We've considered evidence of drug consumption patterns and have proposed changes to the bill to make the equivalent number of doses across different drugs more consistent," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

Opposition police spokesman Jeremy Hanson said it was not clear what the allowable amounts would be.

"What will the quantities be, that can be set by the Minister, so it won't be determined in this place, it will be determined by a minister alone," Mr Hanson said.

"It says that this government or this assembly is going to be asked to pass a bill to decriminalise drugs, without the quantities of the drugs to be included."

Mr Hanson continued his strong opposition to the reforms and said Labor and the Greens had turned it into an "ideological debate".

"It's turned into a grandstanding exercise between Mr Davis and Mr Pettersson and now the whole Labor Party and the Greens in terms of who is the most progressive on drug law reform," he said.

"It will lead to more drug use, it will lead to more addiction, it will lead to more crime, and it will lead to more harm... the reality is that more people will die on our streets."

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