Australians love their cars. Nearly 70% of us use a car to get to work. Another 5% get a lift in someone else’s car. Some of us don’t just drive to work but also for work – that includes truckies, paramedics, posties, farmers and Uber drivers. And many of us rely on the car for day trips to the beach, visits to friends and family or running errands.
So the question of whether or not you can drive when taking alternative medicine is a very important one. The answer depends on your prescription and on the laws where you live.
A recap on alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is derived from two components in the cannabis plant:
- delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
- cannabidiol (CBD).
Depending on your health needs, you may be prescribed alternative medicine that contains:
- THC
- CBD
- both THC and CBD.
It’s very important to talk to your doctor about driving so they prescribe the right type of alternative medicine for your needs.
Can I drive while taking alternative medicine?
It depends.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation states that, if your medicine contains only CBD, you can legally drive – as long as your ability to drive is not affected. That introduces a grey area so it’s important to be aware of the laws in your state (see our overview below).
THC is intoxicating. It can impair your driving ability and create a sense of being high. In fact, even if you don’t feel high (CBD can moderate that), you can still be impaired.
It is illegal to drive with any amount of THC in your system – and it can stay in your system for a long time. THC can be detected in your saliva for 6 hours-3 days after use and in your blood or urine for up to a month.
Driving laws in Australia
Across Australia, you can be charged with a drug-related driving offence if there’s any detectable THC in your system. Police consider that THC has a similar effect to alcohol in impairing your driving ability by reducing your attention, concentration and reaction time.
For CBD-only medication, the clarity of the legal situation varies by state. Some states don’t mention CBD-only medication at all, others clearly state that it is acceptable to drive as long as you’re not impaired.
| State | Driving on THC | Driving on CBD |
| Qld | Illegal | No clear statement |
| NSW | Illegal | “Patients taking cannabidiol(CBD)-only medicines can lawfully drive if they are not impaired. As CBD can cause drowsiness, fatigue and lowered blood pressure, patients should discuss usage and risk of impairment with their treating doctor.” |
| Victoria | Illegal | “Patients taking cannabidiol-only medicines can lawfully drive, as long as they are not impaired.” |
| WA | Illegal | “Products containing cannabis can impair attention, concentration, reaction time and judgement which affect a person’s fitness to drive and operate machinery…It is therefore recommended that people using medicinal cannabis do not drive.” |
| SA | Illegal | No explicit statement on CBD but a blanket statement that, “Patients should not drive or operate machinery while being treated with medicinal cannabis.” |
| Tas | “Driving with any detectable amount of THC in your system is an offence in Tasmania unless the product was obtained and administered in accordance with the Poisons Act 1971.” | No explicit statement on CBD but, “It is recommended that patients do not drive whilst being treated with medicinal cannabis.” |
| NT | “It is an offence in the Northern Territory (NT) to drive if you have a prohibited drug in your body.” | No clear statement on CBD. |
| ACT | Illegal | No clear statement on CBD. |
So, how do you know if your driving ability is impaired? That’s not only a question for patients on alternative medicine – it’s relevant to all medicines. On its page on medicines and road safety, the Victorian government recommends looking for signs such as:
- drowsiness
- aggression
- dizziness
- nausea
- light-headedness
- blurred or double vision
- Shakiness.
What happens if you get pulled over and drug tested?
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation notes that:
- Random saliva tests can detect THC for 12 hours after use in infrequent users
- Random saliva tests can detect THC for around 30 hours in frequent users
- Urine samples can detect THC for around a month after last use.
Roadside drug testing usually relies on a saliva sample. It takes around 3 minutes to analyse the test on the side of the road.
If that test is positive, you may be charged with a drug-related driving offence. The fact that THC is a prescription drug won’t make usually any difference to your situation. Penalties include driving bans, fines and even imprisonment.
If your test is negative but the police still suspect your driving ability is impaired by a drug they can’t detect, they may ask you to complete a standard impairment test. They’ll assess your balance, coordination and overall behaviour. Once that’s done, they may ask you for a blood or urine test to determine if there are drugs in your system. You can refuse to do this – but you may then be charged with a refusal offence.
How can we help?
At Lullaby Health, we aim to help you find a solution for the difficulties you face. Unlike many other clinics, we offer a high level of ongoing support as you adjust to alternative medicine. That includes helping you manage the implications of your medicine for driving.
Some of our patients live with such significant health difficulties that they no longer drive anyway. If that’s you, then we can consider alternative medicine containing THC or CBD.
Other patients, however, are still quite active and need to be able to drive. If that’s you, then please tell us. We can factor your driving needs into our recommendations and discuss the most suitable form of alternative medicine with you.
If you have any concerns about alternative medicine and driving, please contact us on 1300 375 384.
For more information visit any of these websites
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/
https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/
https://adf.org.au/
https://adf.org.au/insights/medicinal-cannabis-driving/
Disclaimer
Lullaby Health is not promoting the use of medical cannabis. Medical cannabis does affect every person differently, due to factors such as size, weight, health, dosage, tolerance, and age. Medical cannabis might not work for you, and you might experience side effects. Information provided by Lullaby Health is for educational and informational purposes only. For medical advice, please refer to your doctor. Medical cannabis in Australia is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and details about cannabis as a scheduled drug can be found on their website.