Cannabis Freedom Index

Changelog 333c4d3

Record Prince Edward Island's home-growing conditions, Western Australia's discretionary intervention notice, Tasmania's current penalty unit, and the ACT public-access and child-storage offences. Fixes #87, #88, #89 and #90.

6 country profiles edited2 files of code, design or docs +146 −29 lines

Countries and states 6 files

Australian Capital Territory countries/au/act.yaml

summary

Since 2020 adults may hold 50 g of dried cannabis and grow two plants each, four per household, at home and out of public access. The harvest must be stored out of children's reach. Selling, gifting and even buying seeds remain illegal.

segments › possession

Since 31 January 2020 adults may possess up to 50 g of dried cannabis, or 150 g fresh. Harvested cannabis must be stored out of children's reach. Failing to do so can bring 50 penalty units, two years, or both, unless the person proves they took all reasonable steps to keep a child from it.

segments › cultivation

Two plants per adult, at most four per household, at the place where the person lives. Hydroponic growing is not allowed. Growing away from home, or in an area the public can lawfully enter, can bring 50 penalty units, two years, or both.

segments › enforcement

Nothing withinGrowing away from home or where the limitspublic can lawfully go, and storing the harvest where children can reach it, can bring two years even when the gram and plant allowances are met. FederalCommonwealth law technically still applies, though it has not been enforced against personaland ACT Policing may use it.

sources

Drugs of Dependence Act 1989 (ACT), sections 171AAB and 171AAC, republication 42, effective 16 November 2025 ACT Policing — Drugs and the law 1 unchanged

Australia countries/au/index.yaml

segments › possession › text

It depends on the state. In the Australian Capital Territory adults may possess up to 50 g of dried cannabis since 31 January 2020, and the harvest must be stored out of children's reach.[@actgrow] In Western Australia police may issue one Cannabis Intervention Requirement to an adult for not more than 10 g; possession remains a criminal offence.[@wacir] Elsewhere possession is an offence: South Australia and the Northern Territory issue on-th … ities, with criminal charges otherwise. Federal law still prohibits possession everywhere.[@conv, wiki]

segments › possession › sources

conv, wiki, actgrow, wacir

segments › cultivation › text

In the ACT, two plants per adult and four per household, grown at your own home and not with hydroponics.[@ct] Growing away from home, or where the public can lawfully go, is a separate offence.[@actgrow] In South Australia one non-hydroponic plant is an expiation fee of $400.[@sareg] In the No … her than a charge. In the remaining states growing any plant is a criminal offence.[@wiki]

segments › cultivation › sources

ct, wiki, sareg, actgrow

segments › enforcement › text

Mostly cautions and fines for users, but criminal convictions and occasional prison remain possible outside. In the ACT, growing away from home or where the public can lawfully go, and storing harvested cannabis where children can reach it, can bring two years even when the plant and gram allowances are met. Cultivation and supply carry heavy sentences.

segments › enforcement › sources

wiki, conv, actgrow

sources

Drugs of Dependence Act 1989 (ACT), sections 171AAB and 171AAC WA Mental Health Commission — Cannabis Intervention Requirement 14 unchanged

Tasmania countries/au/tas.yaml

segments › possession

Illegal. Police may divert a person for up to 50 g, for their first three offences; otherwise. Otherwise possession or use of a controlled plant or its product is up to $7,950 and50 penalty units or two years. From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 a penalty unit is $213, so the fine is $10,650.

sources

Misuse of Drugs Act 2001 (Tasmania), section 25 Tasmanian Department of Justice — Penalty units indexed amounts

Western Australia countries/au/wa.yaml

summary

UpPolice may issue one Cannabis Intervention Requirement to an adult found with not more than 10 g leads to. Possession remains a one-off intervention session instead of a charge; beyond that it is a criminal offence.

segments › possession

Illegal. Up to 10 g leads toPolice may issue a Cannabis Intervention Requirement —to an eligible person aged 14 or older who is found using cannabis, or possessing not more than 10 g, or a one-off counselling session — insteadsmoking implement with traces of a chargeit. From 10An adult can receive only one. A person aged 14 to 100 g carries17 can receive two. Completing the session within 28 days means no court and no conviction for that allegation. A later offence is prosecuted. The scheme does not cover plants, resin, hash oil or other derivatives. Possession can bring up to $2,000 and, two years, or both. An earlier infringement-notice scheme was repealed in 2011.

segments › cultivation

Illegal. A Cannabis Intervention Requirement does not cover cannabis plants.

segments › enforcement

One chance at counsellingA Cannabis Intervention Requirement is discretionary and, for tiny amounts; criminal charges otherwisean adult, once only. Otherwise the charge is prosecuted.

sources

WA Mental Health Commission — Cannabis Intervention Requirement Government of Western Australia — Report illicit drugs offences (updated 8 May 2026)

Canada countries/ca/index.yaml

segments › cultivation › text

An adult may grow up to four cannabis plants at a time in their dwelling-house. Where two … cked enclosure at least 1.52 metres high, and indoors in a separate locked space.[@nbact] In Prince Edward Island the plants must be at the person's private dwelling. Indoors the space must be inaccessible to anyone under 19 and to anyone who has not been invited in. Outdoors they must stand inside a locked enclosure at least 1.52 metres high and out of sight from public space beyond the property. A tenant needs the landlord's written permission.[@peact, pereg]

segments › cultivation › sources

cas12, hc_grow, qcact, mbreg, mbgov, nlreg, ntlcc, nbact, peact, pereg

sources

Cannabis Control Act (Prince Edward Island), section 12 Cannabis Control Regulations (Prince Edward Island), sections 5 and 6 27 unchanged

Prince Edward Island countries/ca/pe.yaml

summary

Age 19. Government-run shops only; consumption. Up to four plants, with a locked outdoor enclosure and written landlord permission for a tenant. Consumption is limited to private residences.

segments › cultivation

FourUp to four plants per residence, as federal law allows, and only in the person's private dwelling. Indoors the space must be inaccessible to anyone under 19 and to anyone who has not been invited in. Outdoors the plants must stand inside a locked enclosure at least 1.52 metres high and must not be visible from public space beyond the property. A tenant needs the landlord's written permission. A condominium bylaw can prohibit growing in a unit.

sources

Cannabis Control Act (Prince Edward Island), section 12, version 1 August 2023 Cannabis Control Regulations (Prince Edward Island), sections 5 and 6 1 unchanged

Code, design and documents 2 files

docs/research/profile-legal-pe-wa-tas-act-2026-10-24.md +24 −0
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Prince Edward Island, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory, 24 October 2026
+
+Issues #87 to #90. Texts opened before the profiles were rewritten. Scores are unchanged.
+
+## Read
+
+- Prince Edward Island Cannabis Control Act, section 12, office consolidation version 1 August 2023. Cultivation must be in the person's private dwelling, in a space inaccessible to anyone under 19 who lives there, and in line with the regulations. A tenant needs the lessor's written permission. A condominium bylaw can prohibit growing in a unit. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/legislation/c-01-2-cannabis_control_act.pdf
+- Prince Edward Island Cannabis Control Regulations, sections 5 and 6, consolidation updated 17 October 2018. Indoors the space must be inaccessible to anyone without an invitation and to anyone under 19. An adjacent building must be kept locked. Outdoors the plants must be surrounded by an enclosure at least 1.52 metres high that is kept securely locked, and must not be visible from public space beyond the property. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/legislation/c01-2-1_cannabis_control_regulations.pdf
+- Prince Edward Island cannabis policy page, published 13 November 2018. It states the four-plant household allowance, the indoor access limits, and the locked 1.52 metre outdoor enclosure. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/finance/cannabis-policy-and-legislation
+- WA Mental Health Commission, Cannabis Intervention Requirement. Police may issue a notice to an eligible person aged 14 or older found using cannabis, or possessing not more than 10 grams, or a smoking implement with traces. An adult can receive one notice. A person aged 14 to 17 can receive two. Completing the session within 28 days means no court and no conviction for that allegation. Plants, resin, hash oil and other derivatives are prosecuted. https://www.mhc.wa.gov.au/getting-help/diversion-support-programs/cannabis-intervention-requirement-cir/
+- Government of Western Australia, report illicit drugs offences, updated 8 May 2026. Possession can bring a maximum $2,000 fine and/or two years. Police can issue a Cannabis Intervention Requirement. https://www.wa.gov.au/service/security/law-enforcement/report-illicit-drugs-offences
+- Tasmania Misuse of Drugs Act 2001, section 25. Possessing or using a controlled plant or its product carries a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units or imprisonment not exceeding two years. Cannabis is listed in the schedule. https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2001-094
+- Tasmanian Department of Justice. From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 one penalty unit is $213. The 2017–18 value was $159. https://www.justice.tas.gov.au/about-us/legislation/penalty-units-indexed-amounts
+- ACT Drugs of Dependence Act 1989, republication 42, effective 16 November 2025. Section 171AAB: cultivating away from home, or in an area lawfully accessible to the public, is 50 penalty units, two years, or both. Section 171AAC: harvested cannabis must be stored out of children's reach, with the same maximum, and a defence if the person proves they took all reasonable steps. https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/alt_a1989-11co/current/pdf/alt_a1989-11co.pdf
+- ACT Policing, Drugs and the law. The page lists storing cannabis where children can reach it, and growing where the public can reach the plants, as offences. It also says the 2020 cannabis rules still apply and that Commonwealth law can be used. https://police.act.gov.au/community-safety/alcohol-and-drugs/drugs-and-the-law
+
+## Not opened
+
+- The PEI cannabis factsheet PDF. The Act and the regulations already state the landlord, enclosure and access rules.
+- A statutory 10-to-100 gram band for Western Australia, and the 2011 repeal of the infringement-notice scheme. Neither was in the pages that were opened, so neither was carried forward.
+- The Tasmanian diversion rule of three cautions in ten years. The existing diversion sentence was left in place. Only the dollar maximum was replaced.
+- The commencement instrument for the ACT 2020 cannabis amendments. The existing 31 January 2020 date was left as it stood.
+
+Cultivation stays at 4 in Prince Edward Island because four plants remain legal, with place and permission conditions. Possession stays at 2 in Western Australia, and enforcement at 3, because a small amount is still a criminal offence and the intervention notice is discretionary. Possession stays at 2 in Tasmania because the offence is unchanged. Enforcement stays at 6 in the Australian Capital Territory, and cultivation at 3, because the gram and plant allowances remain and the two-year offences are the limits around them.

scripts/history-scope.test.cjs +23 −0
@@ -789,2 +789,25 @@ test("Manitoba's indoor grow rule, Nunavut's 150 g limit and South Australia's e
   assert.equal(cap.before, undefined);
 });
+
+test("Prince Edward Island's grow rules, Western Australia's intervention notice, Tasmania's penalty unit and the ACT access offences follow the texts that were read", () => {
+  const pe = y.load(fs.readFileSync("countries/ca/pe.yaml", "utf8"));
+  const wa = y.load(fs.readFileSync("countries/au/wa.yaml", "utf8"));
+  const tas = y.load(fs.readFileSync("countries/au/tas.yaml", "utf8"));
+  const act = y.load(fs.readFileSync("countries/au/act.yaml", "utf8"));
+  assert.match(pe.segments.cultivation, /1\.52 metres/);
+  assert.match(pe.segments.cultivation, /written permission/);
+  assert.equal(pe.scores.cultivation, 4);
+  assert.match(wa.segments.possession, /may issue/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(wa.summary, /leads to a one-off/);
+  assert.equal(wa.scores.possession, 2);
+  assert.equal(wa.scores.enforcement, 3);
+  assert.match(tas.segments.possession, /50 penalty units/);
+  assert.match(tas.segments.possession, /\$10,650/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(tas.segments.possession, /\$7,950/);
+  assert.equal(tas.scores.possession, 2);
+  assert.match(act.segments.cultivation, /public can/);
+  assert.match(act.segments.possession, /children's reach/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(act.segments.enforcement, /Nothing within the limits/);
+  assert.equal(act.scores.enforcement, 6);
+  assert.equal(act.scores.cultivation, 3);
+});

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