Drug laws in NSW

What are illegal drugs?

In NSW, it is an offence to possess, use, produce or supply a drug which has been declared prohibited.

Most drug charges in NSW are laid under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).

The Commonwealth Criminal Code covers offences involving importing and exporting drugs.

Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW)

The NSW Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 classifies a wide range of drugs as 'prohibited drugs' (and 'prohibited plants' in the case of cannabis, opium and coca). The Act creates offences for:

• use of prohibited drugs
• possession of prohibited drugs
• supply and trafficking of prohibited drugs (with the seriousness of the offence depending on the quantities involved)
• cultivation and possession of prohibited plants
• manufacture of prohibited drugs
• aiding and abetting and taking part in offences involving prohibited drugs or plants
• possession of drug-use implements.

The drugs prohibited by the Act are listed in a schedule. They include the common street drugs —cannabis (marijuana), heroin, ecstasy, amphetamines, LSD, cocaine, methadone — and many others.

Synthetic drugs

Synthetic drugs are criminalised by a combination of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW) and the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).

Commonwealth Criminal Code

The Commonwealth Criminal Code is a federal law, so it applies to all of Australia, including New South Wales. The Code aims, among other things, to prevent the import and export of prohibited drugs. The range of drugs  (again listed in a schedule) is similar to that in the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).

Commonwealth Criminal Code offences include dealing with imported drugs after they have been brought into the country.

International treaties and conventions

Australia is a signatory to a number of international treaties and conventions about drugs and drug policy. These treaties are all prohibitionist in their basic intent. Countries that sign these treaties must agree to pass laws against using and trading of recreational drugs.

International treaties and conventions are not law in Australia. The only law in NSW is legislation passed by state or federal parliament and precedent decisions made by the courts. The legal status of the treaties is to guide the federal government. In some cases, treaties give the federal government constitutional power to pass laws it might not otherwise have had. New South Wales and other Australian states are not signatories to international treaties so they are not strictly legally bound by their terms, although there is a tradition that states and provinces should act consistently with treaties entered by their national governments.

The main international treaties about drugs that Australia has signed are:

• the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961
• the Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971
• the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988.

These treaties require the nations that sign them to pass laws imposing criminal penalties on drug use, possession and supply. However, the treaties also allow for flexibility. For example, they allow signatory countries to permit the use of prohibited drugs for medical purposes.

Importantly, the treaties also provide an option to divert drug offenders to rehabilitation and treatment programs, instead of imposing criminal punishments.

Useful links

• Law Handbook - Chapter 21 Drug Offences - Find Legal Answers
• Drugs: Information about going to court or responding to a fine or a drug charge - Legal Aid NSW