MEDIA RELEASE
Back the Bill – sensible medicinal cannabis driving reforms to be debated in NSW Parliament
4.8.26
Legislation to lift a ban that stopped hundreds of thousands of medicinal cannabis patients from driving, even when they were not impaired, is expected to be debated in NSW Parliament this week.
“Unharm is backing the Bill,” Dr Will Tregoning, CEO of Unharm said.
“These are really important reforms for patients right across NSW.
“As the law currently stands, a prescribed patient with any trace of THC commits a driving offence, whether or not the medication affects their driving.
“This legislation replaces that blanket ban with a system that no longer automatically penalises patients who drive unimpaired.
“A patient who tests below the threshold will face no charges and if they test above the threshold they would receive a warning, not an immediate penalty, giving them the chance to adjust their dose and driving before any offence applies.
“People have been having to make really difficult choices between taking their medicine and driving.
“We all want safe roads, and we all want patients to get the medicine they need. This reform can deliver both.
“This has been really challenging for those living outside the major cities or dependent on their license for caring responsibilities, medical appointments or to get to work.
“This has been an impossible choice for patients between their health and their licence,” Will said.
“300 supporters and patients took part in our recent Survey on the Bill and we consulted with experts and partners on the fine detail of the legislation.
“Having done that it’s clear there are a few issues with the legislation as it’s written but we believe that these can be addressed through amendments and the mandatory review of the legislation after 12 months.
“While imperfect it is real progress and we call on all MPs to back the bill.
“We believe that issues to do with patient registration, testing technology and police discretion can be resolved in time and that these changes once legislated will be welcomed by thousands of medicinal cannabis patients across the state.
“The ban didn’t target dangerous driving, it targeted a medicine and stripped patients of the ability to get to work, take their kids to school, attend medical appointments and blocked doctors from giving safety advice,” Dr Tregoning said.
Over 100,000 people in NSW hold a medicinal cannabis prescription.
Leading experts back our Legal Medicine, Outdated Laws proposal including medical researchers, road safety specialists, and legal professionals.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.
Several countries, including the US, UK, Germany, and Ireland, also have medical exemptions or impairment-based systems. These approaches have not led to an increase in road trauma.
Unharm campaigns to reform drug laws, replace punishment with health focused support, and reduce the social harms caused by prohibition.
Media Contact
For media enquiries, interview requests and expert commentary, please contact our media team.
Media enquiries
Our media team can help journalists connect with the right Unharm spokesperson, provide background information and arrange interviews.