Legislative Council petition #515 | presented 30 July 2024

Amend the Road Safety Act 1986 to exempt medical cannabis patients

Petition sponsor: David Ettershank
Response status: Response Received
Portfolio: Roads and Road Safety
Response due: 29 August 2024
Response received: 12 August 2024

5,769 signatures

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that the Road Safety Act 1986 is severely impacting thousands of Victorian medical cannabis patients. Tens of thousands of Victorian residents are prescribed medical cannabis by their doctor, but risk fines and loss of licence due to the current laws. We should not criminalise those who are legally prescribed medications, who are unimpaired and can drive safely. That is how we treat every single other prescription medicine and medical cannabis should be no different.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to amend the Road Safety Act 1986 to make it no longer an offence for a driver who is unimpaired to have detectable THC in their blood or oral fluid, provided they have taken their medication as prescribed.

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