CANBERRA (AP) - Australia's capital has become the first part of the country to legalise recreational marijuana for personal use.

The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly voted on Wednesday (Sept 25) to legalise possession by adults of up to 50g of dried marijuana and cultivation of two marijuana plants beginning on Jan 31.

The assembly is the local government of Canberra, the national capital with a population of 400,000.

Possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalised throughout Australia, but the Australian Capital Territory is the first of Australia's eight states and territories to take the next step of legalising possession and cultivation.

Medical marijuana has been available in Australia to patients with doctors' prescriptions since 2017.