Legalise Cannabis Victoria has called on the state government to get on with its drug-driving trial after new research by Swinburne University found no evidence of impairment in medicinal cannabis users during a simulated driving test.
In August, the government announced an off-road trial would start this year – and take 18 months to complete – but, speaking on the Cannabiz podcast last month, Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank said little progress had been made since then.
Ettershank and fellow MP Rachel Payne used Medicinal Cannabis Awareness Week to call for an end to the “systemic discrimination” still endured by medicinal cannabis patients despite legalisation in 2016.
They said: “For too long patients have been denied access to their medication and the ability to drive… We know there is strong public support for a medicinal cannabis framework that puts patients first. The Allan government needs to explain why it continues to treat medicinal cannabis patients like criminals.
“This government has been accelerating drug-detection operations at public transport stations… Victoria Police receive no training on how to properly deal with medicinal cannabis patients, let alone how to sensitively deal with [those] identified by sniffer dogs.
“One year on from former Premier Andrews’ commitment to reforming Victoria’s driving laws as ‘a priority’, the government is yet to communicate any progress on their medicinal cannabis driving trial. Last week, Swinburne University released a study finding there to be negligible impact in simulated driving testing where patients took their medicinal cannabis as prescribed.
“The science is in… this government is out of excuses.”
