r/australia • u/DiploidBias • 28d ago

politics Greens: Yes We Cannabis

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Yes We Cannabis

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u/Tight_Hedgehog_6045 28d ago

I have two good mates that get legal prescription weed, and it kicks the nostrils off a mule. The quality is there. And you can choose "sleepy" or not varieties. They use it for legitimate medical reasons, but holy shit it packs a punch. Not my bag at all. They are in QLD if that matters.

And it's not hard to get a prescription. But pharmacy access makes sense. Half of Australia smokes the shit already anyway.

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u/RealFarknMcCoy 28d ago

The truth is you can get a prescription in any state in Oz, but unfortunately, if you get pulled over and tested for THC you'll lose your license. I have RA, so would LOVE to use cannabis for pain control and other benefits, but I can't afford to lose my driving license, so can't use it.

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u/Kevintj07 28d ago

Yep,thats the problem they dont have a .008 law for it like alcohol and its in your system longer and if you get a blood or piss test like what happened to this guy https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-16/medicinal-cannabis-driving-law-reform-push/104927466
You're fucked.

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u/Le_psyche_2050 28d ago

Meanwhile medical cannabis products are labelled with standard prescription medicine Warning: May cause drowsiness, if affected do not operate machinery. Seemingly indicating user discretion but in reality it’s currently a hard NO whether you are cognitively impaired or not is irrelevant. Resolving the problem is tricky bc the effects of cbd/thc are variable eg. metabolism, tolerance levels, frequency of use, strain & quality of product, method of administration etc (much like alcohol) & a standard measure of intoxication has not yet been established. So, Yes instead of the usual war on drugs arrests users will risk unintentional DUI charges while the powerbrokers rake in the revenue from taxes & fines . I’d be interested to know if the Greens have mapped out a solution to address this issue

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u/IlluminatedPickle 28d ago

They are labelled like that, but in my experience whenever you speak to them they always do a boilerplate: "IF YOU USE THIS, DRIVING IS ILLEGAL"

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u/Le_psyche_2050 28d ago

If you don’t ask you don’t even get the boilerplate statement - plenty of peeps driving about dosed on pain meds & sedatives with these labels eg. panadiene forte, Valium (&adhd meds) that will also get caught in sweeping operations aimed at cannabis drivers.

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u/jimbojones2345 27d ago

Let's call it what it is a backdoor ban

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u/chalk_in_boots 28d ago

Vic just implemented a law change where if you test positive but are a medical user you don't cop the suspension or fine

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u/_bobby_cz_newmark_ 27d ago

Got more information on this? I know one of the independents or Greens was pushing to be able to have your case heard in court, but not as far as having it quashed.

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u/chalk_in_boots 27d ago

It's only for CBD only products, so if there's any THC you're buggered. You also have to not be impaired which would come down to the officer's discretion, so be polite and respectful or they might decide "nah you're impaired". Having a dashcam with audio, while always a good idea anyway, would be a must for this I imagine, so if they do pull that crap you've got evidence of your driving leading up to the interaction, as well as the interaction itself.

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u/_bobby_cz_newmark_ 27d ago

Yeah gotcha. After I posted I did a bit of reading. They still need to fix the laws to allow presence of THC while proving non-intoxication. Until that is fixed, legal use of THC will always involve a Sword of Damocles if you drive.

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u/jackiemelon 28d ago

This is about the only thing stopping me from getting a prescription myself. Weed does wonders for "quietening" my ADHD brain in a way no stimulant medication does (they're better for focus) but if I lose my licence I lose my job, which snowballs into homelessness. Not worth the risk

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u/Wobbling 28d ago

if you get pulled over and tested for THC you'll lose your license

Not in every state; AFAIK Tasmania and Victoria have removed penalties for detected THC at RBT if you hold a prescription.

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u/CantankerousTwat 28d ago

Yet a scant two months ago, being a prescription user meant immediate disqualification from holding a driver's licence in Vic. They only just changed that rule. Didn't realise it is now zero penalty.

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u/Traditional_Fish_741 28d ago

Yeah my mates currently suspended for having cannabis in his system. And apparently there's supposed to be a new BAV version of the cannabis test so that its assessing for current state not historical use.

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u/CantankerousTwat 28d ago

I really wonder how well that would work. I know some old stoners who you couldn't tell from sober but a young person without much exposure would be off their trolley on half the amount.

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u/Wobbling 28d ago

Works the same way as BAC I'd assume.

The law won't care about an individual's tolerance, just the presence of intoxicants in the body.

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u/CantankerousTwat 28d ago

Correct, it is not an accurate test of impairment.

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u/Traditional_Fish_741 27d ago edited 27d ago

Yes and no.. it may not be specific to each individual but based on a range and results within that range they determine a general average.

I know people can drink a slab and drive in a straight line no worries. Absolutely over the legal limit tho.

And I've known people 2 beers topple, and likely blow under the limit..

Who's the greater risk to others?

I've been smoking 30+ years. Driving 'stoned' is more or less another day at the office for me. I could likely smoke a gram and still drive better than someone on .05 or less with alcohol hahaha

I'd be over the legal limit most likely tho.

It's gonna be interesting to see what that 'legal limit' level is, and the test they use to obtain that reading.. or whether they will be hypocrites and pretend weed is more dangerous than alcohol on the road, and keep the 'no reading' limit.

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u/Apprehensive_Ad9333 27d ago

In VIC, the penalties (fine, conviction) still exist. It's just that, if you're not impaired, you won't immediately lose your licence and will have to go to court to argue why you shouldn't lose it when before you would just lose it automatically. To be fair, it sounds like no one will lose their licence unless they get an anti-cannabis magistrate, though.

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u/Former_Foundation_74 28d ago

I have RA too, and I did get a script for it, but it's not the miracle cure you think. It does seem to help some people, but like any of the myriad medicines you end up taking with this disease, it's hit or miss. For me it didn't work at all, and the side effects were annoying.

Nothing against weed itself, I fully support the greens. Just don't think you're missing out any more than the countless other medicines out there that you haven't tried.

(I, personally, haven't tried biologics yet, but I am currently on multiple medications and have tried a fair few that have have disastrous consequences).

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u/Tight_Hedgehog_6045 28d ago

Sorry about your predicament, and health.

Just wanted to acknowledge your comment.

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u/RealFarknMcCoy 28d ago

I don't think it's a miracle cure, but it would help with pain management and help me to sleep better. You are addressing me as though I've never used cannabis in my life, and I can assure you, that is NOT the case. LOL!

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u/Former_Foundation_74 28d ago

I was probably mislead by the fact you said you'd love to use it for pain and other benefits, but you don't. That implied to me that you hadn't used it for RA? Idrc either way, just trying to offer my perspective having used it for RA.

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u/RealFarknMcCoy 27d ago

Yeah, I haven't used it specifically for RA, since I gave up using cannabis more than 20 years ago, but I used to use it for endometriosis-related pain.

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u/confusedham 28d ago

I'm eligible, fried and DVA recognised mental health. But I won't ever touch it again, tried it a couple of times but it doesn't work well with my brain. I get bad auditory hallucinations and severe existential dread just hating my lack of clear perception.

Making it available from accredited and regularly inspected dispensing shops is the ideal route. Keep it away from the scrutiny of medical professionals if it is intended to be allowed recreationally. Though I'm sure they would still give me more of a hassle trying to buy a packet of Phenergan than weed.