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Medicinal cannabis driving bill removes injustice
3rd Feb 2021
Current drug driving laws are not fair to drivers who can lose their license for taking prescribed cannabis when there is no evidence of impaired driving, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) in response to the Road Traffic (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill 2021 being introduced into parliament in South Australia today.
“Current drug driving laws in South Australia are simply not fair,” said Sarah Vinall, SA State President, ALA. “People lose their license, and sometimes their job, not because of impaired driving, but because of flawed laws.
“We support the Bill introduced today because it will fix this unfair and outdated law that severely penalises medicinal cannabis patients.
“Drivers who take opioids or other prescription medication do not find themselves in court or risk losing their license, and neither should drivers who have taken a prescribed and legal dose of cannabis.
“These drug driving laws were developed before cannabis became a legally recognised prescribed medication and the law needs to change to stay relevant.
“Currently, it is illegal to drive with any presence of tetrahydrocannabinol detected, regardless of whether a person is impaired. This makes cannabis the only prescription medication that excludes an individual from driving completely.
“We urge all legislators in South Australia, and the South Australian government to support this Bill.”
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