The following residents of the ACT draw the attention of the Assembly to request that medicinal cannabis patients with a valid script no longer receive an automatic licence suspension if they are found to have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their system while driving. They also request that the ACT Government investigate how to test impairment levels, rather than solely relying on the presence of THC in an individual’s system for drug driving tests.
In the ACT, while you may be permitted to consume medicinal cannabis by a medical professional, it is still an offence to drive with cannabis in your system and a medical prescription cannot be used as a defence. This is not the case in other jurisdictions. The Victorian Government recently amended the Road Safety Act 1986 so that as of 1 March 2025, drivers who use medicinal cannabis and are not impaired no longer face automatic driving bans if they are found to have THC in their system
In NSW, the Greens recently introduced the Road Transport Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis-Exemptions from Offences) Bill 2025, to bring in similar changes. The petitioners urge the ACT Government to follow the example of other states, and implement common sense changes, so medicinal cannabis users are not unfairly penalised.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly change the laws of the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977 to no longer automatically suspend medicinal cannabis users’ licenses if they are found to have THC in their system and are not impaired. They also request the ACT Government investigate how to test levels of impairment from THC for drug driving testing, rather than relying on the presence of THC in an individual’s system.