The Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 was introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 and will allow the government to create a closed-circuit driving trial to assess medical cannabis patients’ ability to drive safely after ingesting cannabis (3). Medical cannabis was legalized in the Australian state of Victoria in 2016, but driving with any amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) remains illegal in the country, with a few exceptions (1). Many medical cannabis patients have previously voiced concerns over risking fines or losing their license while being prescribed medical cannabis, and are also stating that they are able to drive unimpaired (2). The Australian Lawyer Alliance (ALA) has stated that during the research trial, drivers who showed no evidence of impairment while taking medical cannabis should not be prosecuted (4). The number of people in Australia being prescribed cannabis has reportedly risen by 700% since 2021, the press release stated (3).

Source: The Guardian October 20, 2023 15:54 UTC