The legalisation of recreational cannabis in the ACT would be a “micro-experiment” that could test the theories of both sides of politics and potentially pave the way for further decriminalisation, a leading researcher said.

While the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at Sydney University does not have a position on recreational cannabis use, academic director Professor Iain McGregor said the new ACT law would provide researchers with plenty of material.

“Are there going to be more arrests for driving under the influence, are the number of acute hospital admissions [going to rise] or is everything going to be exactly the same, and what are the implications?” he said. “It might help pave the way for broader decriminalisation.”

His comments come after ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the federal government should focus on organised crime drug trade rather than the territory’s cannabis legalisation.