The data gap in our current THC roadside testing laws

A culture of silence

In my years as a general practitioner, I have learned that you cannot fix a health problem if you refuse to look at the diagnostic data. Treatment requires evidence. When we discuss THC driving laws, we are talking about the livelihoods and freedom of everyday Western Australians. Yet, when I asked the government today for basic information regarding how many individuals have faced prosecution for alleged THC impairment, the cupboard was bare. The response was a simple admission that the requested figures were unavailable due to the complexity of the data.

The danger of driving blind

This is not just bureaucracy. It is a waiting room where patients and workers sit in fear, unsure if their next drive will cost them their licence, their job, and their ability to provide for their families. Without transparent data, we are operating in the dark. We are punishing citizens based on outdated systems without knowing the true extent of the harm being caused. If we are serious about road safety, we must be serious about the science, and that includes being honest about who is being targeted and why. While the major parties play politics, we look at the evidence.

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Holding the system to account

The government claims manual data interrogation is needed to reveal how many Australians have been impacted by these laws. We are told to wait for answers that should be easily accessible in a modern, digitised state. This lack of information creates a deep sense of frustration. How can we have an informed public debate about law reform when the government itself cannot account for the outcomes of its own policies? The sinking feeling when a patient tells me they have lost their independence because of a system that fails to distinguish between impairment and presence is a weight no one should carry.

I have brought these urgent questions to the floor of the House because we deserve better. We deserve a system rooted in fairness rather than ambiguity. You can join our movement for evidence-based change by becoming a member of Legalise Cannabis WA as we continue the fight for reform.