Medical cannabis users in Victoria will no longer automatically lose their license if they are caught driving with traces of the drug in their system.
Instead, magistrates have been given the power to exercise discretion in handing down sentences for drivers who test positive for the cannabinoid chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), if they have a valid prescription for medical cannabis and are uninjured while driving.
It is a blessing for those who use the drug to manage the treatment of cancer, multiple sclerosis and other medical conditions.
Cannabis has been a prescribed medicine in Australia since 2016.
The change comes after Legalize Cannabis Victoria secured an amendment in the Upper House on Thursday night.
Legalize Cannabis MP David Ettershank congratulated the government for supporting the change, which will come into effect on March 1.
“Roadside saliva tests can detect small traces of THC more than a week after consumption, but these tiny traces have a negligible impact on driving ability,” Ettershank said Friday.
Medical cannabis users in Victoria will no longer automatically lose their license if they are caught driving with traces of the drug in their system (file image pictured)
‘Under the old law, the mere presence of this chemical residue meant mandatory loss of license for six months and a heavy fine, but the driver had only taken the medication as directed by his doctor.
He said the change means a user who has taken their medication as directed can appear before a magistrate, explain their circumstances and the magistrate can allow them to keep their license.
Despite the change, it is still a crime to drive with THC in your system; the only change is that the magistrates have been given discretionary power.