MEDIA RELEASE
“A significant win for patients” as sensible medicinal cannabis driving reforms pass NSW Parliament
17.9.26
Legislation to lift the ban that stopped medicinal cannabis patients from driving successfully passed both Houses in the NSW Parliament today.
“This is a significant win for medicinal cannabis patients across NSW,” Dr Will Tregoning, CEO of Unharm said.
“These are really important reforms for patients and we congratulate NSW Roads Minister Aitchison, the Government, key cross bench MPs, our partners and the many thousands of people who wrote to their local MP demanding change.
The legislation replaces the blanket ban with a system that no longer automatically penalises patients who drive unimpaired.
“We all want safe roads, and we all want patients to get the medicine they need and this reform delivers both,” he said.
“People had been having to make really difficult choices between taking their medicine and driving.
“This has been really challenging for those living outside the major cities or reliant on their license for looking after their kids or parents and to get to medical appointments or to work.
“Up until now, this has been an impossible choice for patients between their health and their licence,” Will said.
“We look forward to seeing these changes implemented, assessing how things work in practice over coming months, and again congratulate everyone who made this sensible reform a reality,” Dr Tregoning said.
Over 100,000 people in NSW hold a medicinal cannabis prescription.
Leading experts had backed our Legal Medicine, Outdated Laws proposal including medical researchers, road safety specialists, and legal professionals. Major organisations supporting change include the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, NSW Aboriginal Legal Service, Australian Lawyers Alliance, Australian Services Union (ASU), NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) and Uniting.
Unharm campaigns to reform drug laws, replace punishment with health focused support, and reduce the social harms caused by prohibition.
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