Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985

Currency

As amended to Crime and Criminal Procedure Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (No 3). Assented to 19 February 2024. Commenced 19 February 2024.

Division 1: Summary offences — penalties: s 21

The penalty for an offence under Pt 2 Div 1 is a fine of 20 pu or imprisonment for 2 years, or both.

SECTION	DESCRIPTION	PENALTY (MAX)
10(1)	Possess prohibited drug — unlimited amount	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
11(1)	Possess equipment for administration of prohibited drugs	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
11A(2), (3)	Sale, supply, display of/in connection with shop waterpipes or ice pipes	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
11B(1)	Possess a tablet press capable of using to produce prohibited drug	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
11C(1)	Possess document with instructions for manufacture/production of prohibited drug	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
12(1)	Self-administration of prohibited drug	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
13(1)	Administration of prohibited drug to others	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
14(1)	Permit another to administer prohibited drug	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
15	Forging prescriptions	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
16	Obtaining prescription by false representation	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
17	Obtaining prohibited drug by false representation	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
18(1)	Obtaining prohibited drug from medical practitioners, etc	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
18A(1)	Advertising/holding out premises available for administration prohibited drug	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
18B(1), (2)	Manufacture, production, possession and supply of Sch 9 substances	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
18B(3)	Possession of Sch 9 substances	20 pu and/or 12 mths
19	Aid/abet commission offence under Div 1 in New South Wales	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
20	Aid/abet commission offence under Div 1 outside New South Wales	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
36X(1)	Person found on, or found entering or leaving, drug premises	1st off 50 pu and/or 12 mths Note: 2nd off — strictly indictable [500 pu and/or 5 yrs]
36Y(1)	Owner/occupier knowingly allow premises to be used as drug premises	1st off 50 pu and/or 12 mths Note: 2nd off — strictly indictable [500 pu and/or 5 yrs]
36Y(2)	Owner/occupier knowingly allow premises to be used as drug premises and knows child has access	1st off 60 pu and/or 14 mths Note: 2nd off — strictly indictable [600 pu and/or 6 yrs]
36Z(1)	Organising/conducting, or assisting in organising or conducting, any drug premises	1st off 50 pu and/or 12 mths Note: 2nd off — strictly indictable [500 pu and/or 5 yrs]
36Z(2)	Organising/conducting, or assisting in organising or conducting, any drug premises and knows child has access	1st off 60 pu and/or 14 mths Note: 2nd off — strictly indictable [600 pu and/or 6 yrs]
36ZF	Offence of supply or manufacture psychoactive substances	20 pu and/or 2 yrs
36ZG	Offence of advertising psychoactive substances	20 pu and/or 2 yrs

Division 2: Indictable offences

Table 1 offences — dealt with summarily

Maximum penalties for Table 1 offences dealt with summarily 100 pu or imprisonment for 2 yrs, or both: see CP Act, Sch 1, Table 1, Pt 6; Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act, ss 24A, 24B, 25A(1); offences referred to in s 31(1) (ss 23(1), 23A(1), 24(1), 1(A), 25(1), (1A), (2C) or under ss 26, 27 or 28 involving offences under these provisions) where not more than the indictable quantity; and offences referred to in s 32(1)(a)–(f) (ss 23(1), 24(1), 25(1), (1A) or under ss 26, 27 or 28 involving offences under these provisions) where not more than commercial quantity where the offence relates to cannabis plant/cannabis leaf.

Table 2 offences — dealt with summarily

Maximum penalties for Table 2 offences dealt with summarily 50 pu or imprisonment for 2 yrs, or both: see CP Act, Sch 1, Table 2, Pt 8 — offences referred to in s 30(1) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act (ss 23(1), 23A(1), 24(1), (1A), 25(1), (1A), (2C) or under ss 26, 27 or 28 involving offences under these provisions) where not more than small quantity.

Offences dealt with on indictment

For the maximum penalties for offences dealt with on indictment — see Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act, ss 32–33AD.

Penalties for offences involving supply to persons under 16 years

Section 33AA of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act increases the maximum penalty for offences involving supply to persons under 16 years under s 25(1A), (2A) (as well as aid/abet commission of offences under ss 26–28):

in the case of a penalty for imprisonment for 2 yrs — to 2 yrs, 6 mths, and
in the case of the penalty for an offence under s 25(2A) — to 4200 pu or 25 yrs, or both
in the case of any other penalty, whether a pecuniary penalty or imprisonment by one-fifth.

Nothing in s 267 CP Act prevents the Local Court from imposing the maximum term of imprisonment that may be imposed under s 33AA(2)(a) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act: s 267(7A) CP Act.

SECTION	DESCRIPTION	PENALTY (MAX)	TABLE
23(1)	Cultivation, supply and possession of prohibited plants:
	not more than small quantity	50 pu and/or 2 yrs		2
	not more than the indictable quantity	100 pu and/or 2 yrs	1
	not more than commercial quantity where the offence relates to cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [2000 pu and/or 10 yrs]	1
	not more than commercial quantity excluding cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	Strictly indictable [2000 pu and/or 15 yrs]
23A(1)	Cultivation of prohibited plants by enhanced indoor means and expose process to child under 16 yrs:
	not more than small quantity	50 pu and/or 2 yrs		2
	not more than indictable quantity	100 pu and/or 2 yrs	1
	not more than commercial quantity	Strictly indictable [2400 pu and/or 12 yrs]
24(1)	Manufacture and production of prohibited drug:
	not more than small quantity	50 pu and/or 2 yrs		2
	not more than indictable quantity	100 pu and/or 2 yrs	1
	not more than commercial quantity where the offence relates to cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [2000 pu and/or 10 yrs]	1
	not more than commercial quantity excluding cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	Strictly indictable [2000 pu and/or 15 yrs]
24(1A)	as for s 24 — and expose child to the process:
	not more than small quantity	50 pu and/or 2 yrs		2
	not more than indictable quantity	100 pu and/or 2 yrs	1
	not more than commercial quantity	Strictly indictable [2400 pu and/or 18 yrs]
24A(1)	Possession of precursors for manufacture or production of prohibited drugs	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [2000 pu and/or 10 yrs]	1
24B(1)	Possession of prohibited drug precursors	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [1000 pu and/or 5 yrs]	1
25(1)	Supply prohibited drug:
	not more than small quantity	50 pu and/or 2 yrs		2
	not more than indictable quantity	100 pu and/or 2 yrs	1
	not more than commercial quantity where offence relates to cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [2000 pu and/or 10 yrs]	1
	more than indictable quantity, but less than commercial quantity, excluding cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [2000 pu and/or 15 yrs]	1
25(1A)	Supply prohibited drugs/person over 18 yrs supply person under 16 yrs:
	not more than small quantity	60 pu and/or 2 yrs 6 mths		2
	not more than indictable quantity	120 pu and/or 2 yrs 6 mths	1
	not more than commercial quantity excluding cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	Strictly indictable [2400 pu and/or 18 yrs]
	not more than commercial quantity where cannabis plant/cannabis leaf	120 pu and/or 2 yrs 6 mths [2400 pu and/or 12 yrs]	1
25(2C)	Supply prohibited drugs/person over 18 yrs procure person under 16 yrs to supply etc:
	not more than small quantity	50 pu and/or 2 yrs		2
	not more than indictable quantity	100 pu and/or 2 yrs	1
	not more than commercial quantity	Strictly indictable [2400 pu and/or 18 yrs]
25(2D)	Supply prohibited drugs/person over 18 yrs procure person under 16 yrs to supply etc:
25(2D)	not less than commercial quantity	Strictly indictable [4200 pu and/or 25 yrs]
25A(1)	Supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis	100 pu and/or 2 yrs [3500 pu and/or 20 yrs]	1
26	Conspiring to commit offence under Div 2	Same penalty as for principal offence
27(1)	Aid/abet commission offence under Div 2	Same penalty as for principal offence
28(1)	Conspiring to aid/abet commission offence outside New South Wales	Same penalty as for principal offence
29	Deemed supply — not less than traffickable quantity	Same penalty as for principal offence

Liability of Directors

Section 43A: If a corporation commits an “executive liability offence” a director involved in the management who may influence the corporation’s conduct, who knows or ought reasonably to know of the offence and fails to take all reasonable steps to prevent or stop the commission of the executive liability offence is liable to the same penalty for the offence if committed by an individual.

Section 43B: If a corporation commits a “corporate offence” a director who aids, abets, counsels, procures, induces, conspires in the commission of the corporate offence is liable to the same penalty for the offence if committed by an individual.

The Table below contains some of the more common drugs. The complete list is to be found in Sch 1 of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act.

Prohibited plant or prohibited drug	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Column 5	Column 6
	Trafficable quantity	Small quantity	Indictable quantity	Commercial quantity	Large commercial quantity	Discrete dosage unit (DDU)
Amphetamine	3.0 g	1.0 g	5.0 g	250.0 g	1.0 kg	—
Cannabis leaf	300.0 g	30.0 g	1000.0 g	25.0 kg	100.0 kg	—
Cannabis oil	5.0 g	2.0 g	10.0 g	500.0 g	2.0 kg	—
Cannabis plant	—	5	50	250	1000	—
Cannabis resin	30.0 g	5.0 g	90.0 g	2.5 kg	10.0 kg	—
Cocaine	3.0 g	1.0 g	5.0 g	250.0 g	1.0 kg	—
Heroin	3.0 g	1.0 g	5.0 g	250.0 g	1.0 kg	—
Lysergic acid	15 DDU or 0.003 g	4 DDU or 0.0008 g	25 DDU or 0.005 g	0.0005 kg	0.002 kg	0.0002 g
3,4– Methylenedioxyam phetamine (Ecstasy)	0.75 g	0.25 g	1.25 g	0.125 kg	0.5 kg	—
Methylamphetamine	3.0 g	1.0 g	5.0 g	0.25 kg	0.5 kg	—