Drug offences in NSW

Poppy Morandin.

A recent report from the Australian Institute of Criminology analysing the distinction between the 'social' and commercial supply of drugs has outlined the need for a review into the reliance on 'threshold quantities' in differentiating between drug users and dealers.

In New South Wales, threshold quantities are used to indicate the criminality of supply offences and distinguish between traffickers and users.

Threshold quantities range from small, traffickable, indictable, commercial, and large commercial quantities.

The quantity of the prohibited drug will determine maximum penalties applicable, and whether the matter is dealt with summarily in the Local Court, or in the District Court.