New South Wales premier Chris Minns has given the clearest indication yet that roadside drug testing for medicinal cannabis patients will be specifically addressed at the state’s drug summit later this year.
Appearing before a portfolio committee chaired by Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham, Minns acknowledged the difficulties faced by patients and said he “expects” the issue to be discussed at the summit.
Quizzed by Buckingham over the unjust treatment of patients who are banned from driving for the mere presence of THC, Minns said he “accepts the literature that suggests impairment and detection are separate issues”.
“They are not the same, detection will exist longer than impairment,” he said. “The challenge for the government is there is no test for impairment. But there are over 300,000 people in the state who currently have a prescription for medicinal cannabis… and if they want to use a car while accessing the health benefits of… medicinal cannabis, they can’t do it.
“One of the reasons we are pursuing a drug summit is to look at issues in the law like this and I expect that [it] will look specifically at this issue.”
Earlier, Minns said he would be happy to jump in a car with Buckingham, who revealed he had consumed medicinal cannabis the previous evening.
“Do I seem impaired to you?” the Legalise Cannabis MP asked.
“No, you seem very sharp,” Minns replied.
The drug summit will take place over four days, two in regional NSW in October and in Sydney on December 4 and 5.
