Australian State to Explore Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis

John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Victoria is advocating for a legal reform that would permit medicinal cannabis users to drive with the substance in their bodies.

In pursuit of this goal, the state government has introduced legislation to establish a pioneering trial designed to examine the impact of medicinal cannabis on driving behaviour.

If passed, this legislation would enable the state government to conduct tests to investigate if there are conditions under which people can drive safely with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, in their bodies.

“This bill will allow us to deliver a world-leading research trial into medicinal cannabis and driving, enhancing our understanding of how medicinal cannabis affects driving behaviour and informing future reform,” Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said.

Under the proposed legislation, an independent research organisation will join hands with the transport department and other road safety and health experts to develop and implement the trial.

The Victorian government plans to create a controlled driving environment for the trial, which was physically separated from public roads to ensure the safety of the trial participants and researchers.

Participants will be required to display driving behaviours that may violate current laws to test the effects of medicinal cannabis on driving impairment.

To back up the legislation, the Victorian government cited a 700 percent surge in the number of people being prescribed medicinal cannabis in the past two years, prompting the need for a trial.

The state government also said it was reviewing the road safety outcomes of other countries and would establish a steering committee to monitor the initiatives.

It is still illegal for Victorian residents to drive under the influence of THC even if the driving trial is approved.

Cannabis plants grow in a greenhouse in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay, on April 17, 2019. Pablo Porciuncula Brune/AFP via Getty Images

Thriving Medicinal Cannabis Industry

Victoria was the first state in Australia to legalise cannabis for medical purposes in 2016, with children with severe epilepsy being the first to access the drug in 2017.

The legislation also opened the door for the manufacture, supply and access to medicinal cannabis products in the state.

In 2018, the Victorian government released an industry development plan to create a medicinal cannabis industry that could supply half of Australia’s market by 2028.

Also in 2018, the federal government amended the Commonwealth narcotic drug laws, allowing Australian medicinal cannabis to be exported to other countries.

By 2028, they estimate the state will produce 881,250 litres of cannabis oil annually to meet the needs of approximately 1.2 million patients annually.

The Office of Drug Control estimated that the annual cost of accessing medicinal cannabis legally for a patient ranged between $20,000 (US$12,700) and $40,000.

TGA Greenlights Medicinal Cannabis, Yet Questions Linger on Efficacy

According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), medicinal cannabis can be prescribed to treat some conditions, such as paediatric and adult patients with epilepsy or multiple sclerosis, as well as reduce non-cancer pain, treating nausea, and vomiting due to chemotherapy.

However, the TGA stated that there was currently limited evidence about the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis for use in different medical conditions, as well as little information about the most suitable doses for users.

There are also many side effects of using cannabis for medical treatment, including fatigue, vertigo, nausea, fever, changes in appetite, dry mouth, and diarrhoea.

Some studies also pointed out that medical cannabis usage could lead to mental health problems, including psychosis, anxiety disorders, cognitive problems, and addiction, with 3 in 10 cannabis users likely to develop addiction issues.