Premier Daniel Andrews has given his strongest indication yet that the state’s strict rules around driving and the use of medicinal cannabis will be overhauled.
It is an offence for Victorians to drive with any trace of psychoactive cannabis in their system or when impaired by any prescription medication, according to VicRoads. Penalties for drug-driving include mandatory licence suspension.
Premier Daniel Andrews in Box Hill on Tuesday. Credit:Joe Armao
Andrews said on Tuesday that allowing unimpaired Victorians to drive after taking medicinal cannabis was a significant priority for his government.
“In terms of drug law reform, the issue that I’m much more focused on is those Victorians – and there can be as many as 200,000 – who are currently using medicinal cannabis with a script from a doctor and they cannot drive,” he said at a press conference at Box Hill High School.
“That’s an issue that’s bedevilled us. We need to find a way through that.”
The premier said he didn’t want anyone to avoid alleviating pain or other symptoms because they were too scared to take what had been prescribed to them.
“I don’t want them to feel they can’t access that care because we don’t have [updated] drug-driving laws and we don’t have a test that can test for impairment,” he said.
“You’re either positive [to traces of the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC] or negative. It’s a binary thing when you may not be impaired at all. So we’re working through that.”
Changing the rules around medicinal cannabis use and driving was canvassed during the last term of parliament, but never eventuated.
The Legalise Cannabis Party – which alongside the Greens holds the balance of power in the upper house on legislation that the Coalition and right-wing crossbenchers oppose – has a bill before the Legislative Council on the issue.
David Ettershank from the Legalise Cannabis Party has welcomed the premier’s comments.Credit:Paul Jeffers
It seeks to treat medicinal cannabis like other prescription medications when it comes to driving. In other words, it would allow people to drive if they are not impaired.
Victoria became the first state to approve medicinal cannabis in 2016. Unlike in Tasmania, there is no exemption for unimpaired drivers.
David Ettershank, one of two upper house MPs from Legalise Cannabis, said he welcomed the premier’s comments.
“Legalise Cannabis Victoria is currently having discussions with a number of government ministers about this and other questions,” he said.
The party’s bill is scheduled for debate next Wednesday.
Cannabis has two main chemical components. THC is the psychoactive ingredient, responsible for giving people the “high” feeling.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, does not have the same psychoactive effect. Both are used in different levels as treatments for various conditions, including cancer-related symptoms, anxiety and neurological disorders.
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