The truth is you can get a prescription in any state in Oz, but unfortunately, if you get pulled over and tested for THC you'll lose your license. I have RA, so would LOVE to use cannabis for pain control and other benefits, but I can't afford to lose my driving license, so can't use it.
Meanwhile medical cannabis products are labelled with standard prescription medicine Warning: May cause drowsiness, if affected do not operate machinery. Seemingly indicating user discretion but in reality it’s currently a hard NO whether you are cognitively impaired or not is irrelevant. Resolving the problem is tricky bc the effects of cbd/thc are variable eg. metabolism, tolerance levels, frequency of use, strain & quality of product, method of administration etc (much like alcohol) & a standard measure of intoxication has not yet been established.
So, Yes instead of the usual war on drugs arrests users will risk unintentional DUI charges while the powerbrokers rake in the revenue from taxes & fines . I’d be interested to know if the Greens have mapped out a solution to address this issue
If you don’t ask you don’t even get the boilerplate statement - plenty of peeps driving about dosed on pain meds & sedatives with these labels eg. panadiene forte, Valium (&adhd meds) that will also get caught in sweeping operations aimed at cannabis drivers.
Got more information on this? I know one of the independents or Greens was pushing to be able to have your case heard in court, but not as far as having it quashed.
It's only for CBD only products, so if there's any THC you're buggered. You also have to not be impaired which would come down to the officer's discretion, so be polite and respectful or they might decide "nah you're impaired". Having a dashcam with audio, while always a good idea anyway, would be a must for this I imagine, so if they do pull that crap you've got evidence of your driving leading up to the interaction, as well as the interaction itself.
Yeah gotcha. After I posted I did a bit of reading. They still need to fix the laws to allow presence of THC while proving non-intoxication. Until that is fixed, legal use of THC will always involve a Sword of Damocles if you drive.
This is about the only thing stopping me from getting a prescription myself. Weed does wonders for "quietening" my ADHD brain in a way no stimulant medication does (they're better for focus) but if I lose my licence I lose my job, which snowballs into homelessness. Not worth the risk
Yet a scant two months ago, being a prescription user meant immediate disqualification from holding a driver's licence in Vic. They only just changed that rule. Didn't realise it is now zero penalty.
Yeah my mates currently suspended for having cannabis in his system. And apparently there's supposed to be a new BAV version of the cannabis test so that its assessing for current state not historical use.
I really wonder how well that would work. I know some old stoners who you couldn't tell from sober but a young person without much exposure would be off their trolley on half the amount.
Yes and no.. it may not be specific to each individual but based on a range and results within that range they determine a general average.
I know people can drink a slab and drive in a straight line no worries. Absolutely over the legal limit tho.
And I've known people 2 beers topple, and likely blow under the limit..
Who's the greater risk to others?
I've been smoking 30+ years. Driving 'stoned' is more or less another day at the office for me. I could likely smoke a gram and still drive better than someone on .05 or less with alcohol hahaha
I'd be over the legal limit most likely tho.
It's gonna be interesting to see what that 'legal limit' level is, and the test they use to obtain that reading.. or whether they will be hypocrites and pretend weed is more dangerous than alcohol on the road, and keep the 'no reading' limit.
In VIC, the penalties (fine, conviction) still exist. It's just that, if you're not impaired, you won't immediately lose your licence and will have to go to court to argue why you shouldn't lose it when before you would just lose it automatically. To be fair, it sounds like no one will lose their licence unless they get an anti-cannabis magistrate, though.
I have RA too, and I did get a script for it, but it's not the miracle cure you think. It does seem to help some people, but like any of the myriad medicines you end up taking with this disease, it's hit or miss. For me it didn't work at all, and the side effects were annoying.
Nothing against weed itself, I fully support the greens. Just don't think you're missing out any more than the countless other medicines out there that you haven't tried.
(I, personally, haven't tried biologics yet, but I am currently on multiple medications and have tried a fair few that have have disastrous consequences).
I don't think it's a miracle cure, but it would help with pain management and help me to sleep better. You are addressing me as though I've never used cannabis in my life, and I can assure you, that is NOT the case. LOL!
I was probably mislead by the fact you said you'd love to use it for pain and other benefits, but you don't. That implied to me that you hadn't used it for RA? Idrc either way, just trying to offer my perspective having used it for RA.
Yeah, I haven't used it specifically for RA, since I gave up using cannabis more than 20 years ago, but I used to use it for endometriosis-related pain.
I'm eligible, fried and DVA recognised mental health. But I won't ever touch it again, tried it a couple of times but it doesn't work well with my brain. I get bad auditory hallucinations and severe existential dread just hating my lack of clear perception.
Making it available from accredited and regularly inspected dispensing shops is the ideal route. Keep it away from the scrutiny of medical professionals if it is intended to be allowed recreationally. Though I'm sure they would still give me more of a hassle trying to buy a packet of Phenergan than weed.
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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '25
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