If you reside in South Australian territory and are reading this, you might want to think twice before using weed. Attorney-General Vickie Chapman has announced her plans to crack down on cannabis possession in Australia; signaling the start of a cannabis war initiated by the Marshall Liberal government.

Anyone who is caught smoking the plant faces a serious risk of getting caught, and punishment won’t be light either. Chapman aims to quadruple existing cannabis-related fines and put people behind bars if the Marshall Liberal government thinks it is the right thing to do.

A cannabis war in Australia seems quite unusual, what with so many places elsewhere on the map embracing cannabis reform and launching their recreational/medical markets. However, the government doesn’t seem to be backing down on their decision.

Cannabis possession in Australia will be treated the same as ecstasy and heroin

Shortly after The Greens political party revealed a brand new drug law reform policy that would legalize cannabis in Australia for people over the age of 18, 2.1 million citizens claimed they had used cannabis in the past 12 months. 

Based on the physical and mental impacts of cannabis use, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) opted out of supporting the policy.

Since the government won’t provide cannabis for recreational purposes, money is being fed into Southern Australia’s black market. Those who are caught in possession of weed may face difficulties in gaining employment as a result of their criminal record.

Under the new laws proposed by the Marshall Liberal government’s cannabis war in Australia, offenders will be slapped with fines of up to $2,000 and a maximum of two years behind bars. The current penalty is $500, although the police tend to issue fines of $125 for anyone in possession of no more than 25 grams. The recent proposal puts cannabis in the same category as “other controlled drugs” like heroin and ecstasy.

It’s not just the black market and rise in cannabis consumption that is causing concern for Australia’s government but also, home cultivation. Cannabis plants worth approximately $205 million were recently discovered in 570 home-growing facilities in Sydney’s southwestern segment. 

Even though the NSW Strike Force Zambesi is conducting raids on home-growing facilities, it doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference. Commander of the police Strike Force, Gus Viera, has described the situation as a “huge problem.”

“We have been raiding all these houses and I’m not sure we’re even making a dent,” he said. In addition to home raids, dog-sniffing practices will be encouraged to prevent students from consuming cannabis on school grounds.

“The plan is to review and increase penalties across the board, from using to supplying, and reducing the opportunity to say, ‘well, I’ll have treatment,” said Chapman. “We’re bringing it into parity [with other drugs].”