Vic’s Considering Changing Its ‘Unfair’ Drug Driving Laws To Accomodate Medical Weed Users

medical marijuana drug driving laws victoria

Newly-elected Legalise Cannabis MPs in Victoria are hitting the ground running and pushing to get the state’s drug-driving laws overhauled for medical weed users. It looks like it may just work too because both Labor and the Coalition are backing the amendment.

Per The Guardian, the new MPs tabled a bill amendment which would mean medical choof would be treated like any other prescription medication for Victorian drivers. It’s currently illegal for anyone to drive with THC (the psychoactive in weed that gets you high) in their systems, even if they’re a card-carrying medical mary jane user with a script from their doctor.

Debate over the amendment was put on hold on Wednesday after the Victorian Government promised it would address the issue in the coming months. So there’s a possibility that the laws could change sooner rather than later.

Considering approximately 65,000 Victorians currently have a prescription for medicinal cannabis, it makes sense to look into things like driving with residual weed in your system.

Obviously, this doesn’t mean you’ll soon be able to go and get stoned out of your gourd and then drive to Macca’s. But it likely means people with a prescription won’t be pinged by the drug bus in the days after their doctor-ordered high.

Labor MP Harriet Shing said work on changing the drug-driving laws has been happening for a few years, and finding the line between THC presence and being impaired by it was a “significant priority” to the government’s working group on the issues.

“The working group has actually discussed at length the complexities of this matter and the options and opportunities that might be available,” she said.

“We need … to find a way through all of this so that all drivers are able to be safe on our roads and so that we can provide those medical supports that Victorians need and indeed deserve.”

Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne told The Guardian she was “heartened” to see both sides of the Victorian government agree that the current drug-driving laws are unfair to those who use medical marijuana.

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