Australian Attorney General Christian Porter said on Sunday that Canberra's new legislation legalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use do not provide legal protection and clash with federal laws.

In September, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the first of the country's six states and two main territories to legalize the possession of up to 50 grams per person of cannabis for personal use, with the law set to come into effect from Jan. 31, 2020.

Federal law prohibits such use, however, and Porter, who has been reviewing the ACT laws and on Sunday sent a letter to the ACT attorney-general, signaled this will not change.