Melbourne leads a world first trial on connection between medicinal cannabis and driving behaviour

Researchers in Melbourne are leading an 18-month world first  trial, looking at the effects of medicinal cannabis on driving behaviour.

Transcript

00:00 The government confirmed its funding for the study yesterday, $4.9 million going to researchers

00:07 here at Swinburne University.

00:09 They say it's going to be the first time that we'll see medicinal cannabis users behind

00:14 the wheel in a research setting to understand the risks of driving while on medicinal cannabis.

00:19 They'll be finding about 70 research participants and taking them to a closed track, real world

00:25 driving conditions, but in a closed track typically used for learner drivers, comparing

00:29 them to a control group and also comparing them to people with 0.05 blood alcohol content

00:34 to compare the risks with other types of driving impairments.

00:38 The Victorian government is funding this study because it's struggling to grapple with the

00:42 laws around medicinal cannabis and driving.

00:46 It says there's research that has been undertaken around the world, but that's been largely

00:49 done in simulated virtual environments.

00:52 This will be the first time we'll have real world examples to base research on.

00:58 And the researchers we spoke to earlier this morning, Dr. Amy Haley from Swinburne, said

01:02 it's an ever growing important issue as legislators struggle to address it here in Australia and

01:08 around the world.

01:10 It is an accepted and legitimate medication, but unfortunately under the road safety legislation,

01:17 those patients are currently prohibited from driving.

01:20 And so this is not true of people who are accessing medications such as benzodiazepines

01:25 and other potentially impairing drugs like opiates.

01:27 So we need to make sure that it's a fair and equitable playing field.

01:32 So Nick, what reaction have we seen to the news?

01:36 Welcome news for the users of medicinal cannabis, waiting a long time to have clarity on these

01:41 laws.

01:42 Some of them obviously needing to drive for work and family, but the government has faced

01:47 some criticism here in Victoria, the legalised cannabis party saying it's taking too long

01:52 to resolve this issue.

01:54 Medicinal cannabis has been legal here since 2016.

01:57 This research was promised a long time ago and it's going to take at least 18 months

02:01 before we see any changes.

02:04 That's also prompted calls from lawyers here in Australia, the Australian Legal Alliance

02:09 saying prosecution of people who have medicinal cannabis in the system but aren't impaired

02:14 should be paused here in Victoria until this research is settled.

02:18 It's questions the government is yet to address, but once the government's right around the

02:22 country will need to.

02:23 We've already seen changes in Tasmania where people there aren't prosecuted if they aren't

02:27 impaired while driving, but there are similar calls in places like Western Australia as

02:31 well.

02:32 So certainly important research about to get underway here in Victoria.

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