An Australian territory has become the first in the nation to legalise recreational cannabis use.

Politicians in the Australian Capital Territory, which includes the capital city of Canberra, yesterday passed a bill allowing adults to possess up to 50 grams of the drug.

Users will also be allowed to grow four plants at home under the legislation, which comes into effect in January.

Some Australians will be allowed to grow cannabis plants for personal use

It will remain prohibited throughout the rest of Australia where medical cannabis was legalised in 2016.

It will still be illegal to sell cannabis and to consume it in public or around children.

However, the law could still be overturned at a federal level.

Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said: “This does not entirely remove the risk of people being arrested under [federal] law, and we are being up front with the community about that.”

Recreational cannabis use is legal in countries including Canada, Spain, Uruguay, and several US states.