A well-known Wagga veteran has criticised NSW law and the current testing regime to detect drug driving.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Pro Patria board member Jason Frost is calling on the state government to update driving laws for those who take medicinal cannabis.
It came as the NSW Parliament held an inquiry yesterday examining a bill to allow those who take the treatment to continue to drive.
IN OTHER NEWS:
At present, users risk serious drug driving charges if caught by police with traces of medicinial cannabis in their system.
The bill, introduced by Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, would provide a defence against drug driving charges for users of medicinal cannabis, sinilar to existing exceptions for people who have been prescribed valium or methodone.
Mr Frost said the current law was outdated and inadequate.
"The current law looks at the amount of THC in your system rather than the impairment and your ability to drive your vehicle," he said.
"That is a huge disadvantage for anyone taking these medicines with even the smallest bit of THC in it."
Mr Frost welcomed the inquiry, saying it was a step in the right direction.
"I think it's very positive this is being reviewed," he said.
The state government has announced it will not be supporting the bill and submitted a statement to the inquiry arguing that medicinal cannabis "is not comparable to other drugs."
It said this is in part "due to its widespread use and availability for non-medicinal purposes."
"There is no reliable way to distinguish or prove whether the source of THC is illicit or prescribed," the submission read.
But Mr Frost, who himself takes medicinal cannabis for treatment, strongly disagrees.
"The medicinal cannabis I receive has a clear label on it saying it is prescribed. So as long as you can produce the script for that, I don't see why it should be an issue," he said.
Mr Frost also works with members of the local ex-service community and has seen the treatment actually improve driving ability.
"I know a lot of people who use it and become better drivers as a result, because they are no longer dealing with chronic pain, stress or other factors that can impact on their ability to drive," he said.
"It really needs to come down to the individual. The police officer at the scene talks with the driver and can see if they are impaired, so what's wrong with testing that way? We need to look at that approach rather than simply checking to see if something is in your system to determine whether you've broken the law or not."
The bill and any changes to laws around drug use and crime will likely require support from the opposition Labor party.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters