NSW motorists who use medicinal cannabis may soon be able to drive without fear of major penalty

• 01The NSW government announced legislation that would allow drivers with a medicinal cannabis prescription to drive without facing a three-month licence suspension or fine for having THC in their system.
• 02Under the proposed system, drivers with a full licence can drive with THC up to a threshold; if they test positive, they face a 24-hour ban while laboratory results are processed.
• 03If THC levels are above the allowed threshold on a first or second occasion within two years, the driver receives a warning; a third occasion results in a minimum three-month licence suspension and a $704 fine.
• 04Drivers will be required to register their medicinal cannabis prescription with Transport NSW.
• 05According to the government, 1 million Australians use medicinal cannabis, with up to a third residing in NSW.
• 06Michael James, an Australian army veteran with a prescription for PTSD and chronic pain, was fined $600 at a roadside stop for having THC in his system despite not using medication for over 12 hours and stopped driving as a result.
• 07Prof Iain McGregor stated that THC can be detected in the body for weeks after use but research shows impairment typically clears within hours, and that THC concentrations in blood and saliva are poor indicators of impairment.
• 08Independent MP Alex Greenwich moved a motion in November co-signed by Jeremy Buckingham calling for a legal defence for drivers using medicinal cannabis; Greenwich welcomed the government's announcement.

These words or phrases carry political, emotional, or ideological loading in the original article. Use Link Launderer to see them highlighted in context.

The NSW government announced legislation allowing drivers with medicinal cannabis prescriptions to operate vehicles with THC up to a specified threshold, removing the automatic three-month licence suspension and fines for THC presence in their system. Under the new framework, drivers would face a 24-hour ban pending lab testing, with warnings on first and second violations above the threshold within two years and a three-month suspension plus $704 fine on a third violation. Premier Chris Minns stated the changes balance road safety protections with practical considerations for the estimated 1 million Australians using medicinal cannabis, about one-third of whom live in NSW.