Fair driving laws for Queensland's medicinal cannabis patients

Queensland's new drug-driving laws start on 1 December 2026. They double the maximum fine for driving with THC in your saliva (to 28 penalty units, about $4,800) and take your licence for at least two months, even if you're a patient using medicinal cannabis exactly as your doctor prescribed, and even if you're not impaired.

It's a presence offence: police don't have to show you were affected, only that THC was detected. THC can stay detectable in saliva for days after a dose. Queensland's own Drug Driving Review found there is no reliable THC threshold that separates impaired from unimpaired drivers. That's a reason to judge impairment, not to punish every patient.

No other prescribed medicine is treated this way. A Queenslander taking prescribed opioids, benzodiazepines or sleeping tablets is judged on whether they are impaired, not on whether the medicine is in their body. Medicinal cannabis patients deserve the same standard.

Other states have found a fairer way. Tasmania gives lawfully prescribed patients a defence, and NSW is introducing a scheme for registered patients. Queensland went the other way.

What we're asking for

• A medical defence for drivers with a valid prescription who use their medicine as directed and are not impaired

• Keep the impaired-driving offences in full: anyone unfit to drive should be off the road, whatever they've taken

• Invest in roadside testing that measures impairment, so every driver is judged on whether they're safe to drive

Write to the Transport Minister, the Premier and your local MP. A printed letter lands on their desk and gets logged by their office.