Learning From Germany on Cannabis Reform and Road Safety

The evidence from Germany

In my medical career, I have learned that the best decisions are made when we stop fearing the unknown and start respecting the data. Recently, the world-renowned medical journal The Lancet published findings from Germany regarding the legalisation of cannabis. The data was clear: there was no significant difference in accident rates or driver behaviour following their reforms. This is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of science.

Yet, when I brought this evidence to the attention of the government in the Legislative Council, the response was a familiar cycle of redirection. We are faced with a situation where real-world evidence is treated as an inconvenience rather than a roadmap for progress. The danger here is profound. When policy is driven by outdated fears instead of clinical evidence, we allow a system to persist that penalises the wrong people while failing to improve public safety.

The human cost of hesitation

In my years as a GP, I never saw a patient cured by red tape. The current approach to cannabis and driving laws in Western Australia leaves patients in a state of constant anxiety. If you find these updates on evidence-based policy useful, I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more regular insights into our work in the House.

We are essentially stuck in a waiting room while the rest of the world moves forward. The government holds working groups and reports, but the results remain locked away from public scrutiny. This is not just bureaucracy. It is a barrier to sensible, compassionate, and evidence-based governance that impacts the lives of thousands of West Australians.

Demanding transparency in Parliament

The state of our roads and the rights of our citizens are too important to be managed through evasive answers. My questions to the Minister for Police were designed to force a conversation about these international findings. Instead, I was referred back to previous, equally opaque responses. We deserve better. We deserve to know when the government will finally present its advice on this crucial reform.

You can review the full exchange regarding this matter in the official record of our session today. While the major parties play politics, those of us who value scientific truth will keep pushing for transparency and change. If you are ready to see a more rational approach to drug policy in our state, I invite you to join the Legalise Cannabis WA party as we continue to advocate for common sense and progress.