Medicinal Cannabis and Safe Driving: A Clearer Path Forward

There is a new challenge facing our roads: understanding the impact of medicinal cannabis on driving ability. It is a complex issue, filled with nuance as the science catches up to changing laws and community attitudes.

The unexpected answer

Recent research from the University of Colorado, published in Clinical Toxicology, shows that relying on pupil dilation to measure cannabis impairment just does not work. This is not just a scientific detail. For families, this means that conventional roadside tests might miss real impairment, endangering everyone from schoolchildren to grandparents crossing the street. The evidence was clear. Yet, surprisingly, the Minister for Health’s department had not alerted the minister to this study in advance. It reasons that the Medicinal Cannabis and Safe Driving Working Group is already considering relevant evidence as it develops its report.

Progress amidst uncertainty

The Working Group is the centrepiece of our state's response to this evolving issue. It is charged with untangling the complicated links between medicinal tetrahydrocannabinol use and safe driving. According to the government’s latest update, the group remains on track to deliver its recommendations before the end of the calendar year. This progress offers hope that policy will soon be guided by the best and latest science, not outdated assumptions or rushed decisions.

For those of us who have long worked in medicine and now in the Legislative Council, this commitment to evidence-based policy is essential. In my years as a GP, I never saw a patient cured by red tape or guesswork. We need clear, practical answers for those who rely on medicinal cannabis while keeping our roads safe.

If you want to stay informed about these important developments and hear more from my perspective as a medical doctor turned politician, I encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Together, we can navigate this complex terrain with clarity and compassion.

The human impact behind policy

What does this mean in real life? Families worry about their loved ones who use medicinal cannabis: Will Mum be safe behind the wheel? Will Dad’s medication put him at risk on our highways? The anxiety is real, as is the frustration when science moves faster than law. But there is also hope. Hope that the government will listen, act on sound research, and produce recommendations that protect health and safety.

We are a community of forward thinkers and evidence-led advocates. While the major parties play politics, we look at the facts. We know that this is not just bureaucracy; this is a waiting room where patients and drivers deserve better.

For those wanting to explore the full details of this important discussion, I invite you to read the official record of the proceedings in the Legislative Council where this matter was addressed.

And if you share our commitment to evidence-based reform, to a safer, fairer Western Australia, consider joining Legalise Cannabis WA to ensure your voice counts in shaping future policy.

Read the full Hansard record here.

Join Legalise Cannabis WA today.