The Cannabis Industry’s Survival Depends on The Drug Driving Laws
As medicinal cannabis becomes a more popular solution for patients and prescribers, it also becomes a bigger source of economic growth. But as drug driving laws remain in place, everyone feels the repercussions.
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Drug Driving Laws Are Up for Review in Parliament. Here’s How to Weigh in with Your Call for Change.
Learn how to add your submission to the Government inquiry into Drug Driving Laws.
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Announcing the Drive Change Roundtable for Government Officials
As you may have seen, we’ve been encouraging the cannabis community to write letters to local members of Parliament. A major part of that campaign is to drive local MPs to the upcoming Drive Change Roundtable for Government officials. What is the Roundtable? This Roundtable will serve as a platform to address the discriminatory drug […]
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Letter To Local Members: How You Can Write a Compelling Letter to Inspire Law Reform
A chance for medicinal cannabis patients to speak up about the impacts of discriminatory drug driving laws in Australia. Brought to you by Drive Change.
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How Other Countries Successfully Updated Drug Driving Laws for Medicinal Cannabis Patients (and How Australia Can Catch Up)
Australia’s drug driving laws are outdated. By looking at other countries, it’s clear that there are ways to end discrimination and continue to keep the roads safe.
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THC in Blood and Saliva Not Indicative of Impairment, Studies Say
Measuring impairment has more to do with the individual user, and much less with their blood content. While the drug driving laws continue to use blood and saliva as measures of impairment, up-to-date studies reveal the inaccuracy of these protocols. One such study published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews revealed that blood and saliva testing […]
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These Two Bills Could Be Crucial for the Future of Medicinal Cannabis
Last year, we saw our ambassador Cate Faehrmann call on officials to throw out all the roadside drug tests in Nimbin during Mardi Grass weekend, citing contamination. Now, she’s taking an even bigger swing at the unjust drug driving laws with the introduction of two new bills, and one of them may help us see […]
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Answering Cannabis Law FAQ
With cannabis available via a prescription in Australia since 2016, both doctors and patients are increasingly more likely to consider it as part of a healthcare practice. Medicinal cannabis is already widely prescribed for conditions including PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. Although the health industry generally agrees with its medicinal merits, the driving laws […]
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Dr Teresa Towpik: “Ignorance Isn’t Bliss, Knowledge Is.”
This article is written by Drive Change ambassador Dr. Teresa Towpik. Below, she shares her experience with the drug driving laws from the standpoint of a medicinal cannabis doctor and patient. January 2016–what a month it was for me. I didn’t realise it then, but this would mark the beginning of a new chapter in […]
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4 Questions That Uncover the Problem With Our Current Drug Driving Laws (& Medicinal Cannabis)
Michael White discusses recent data on medicinal cannabis and its effects on driving.
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For Blake, Queensland Drug Driving Laws are Unreasonable
Blake is sharing his experience as part of our “Personal Stories” series, which invites medicinal cannabis patients to share with the community how drug driving laws are impacting their quality of life. If you’d like to share your story, please email us at hello@drivechangemc.com.au It’s time that medicinal cannabis patients in Queensland are given driving […]
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Open Letter to the Department of Transport and Main Roads: Are You Really Paying Attention to Road Safety?
Ex-magistrate David Heilpern responds to a mostly evasive letter from the Department of Transport and Main Roads regarding drug driving laws and the call for reform.
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Cannabis Improved His Life After the Army, but Driving Laws Stand in the Way of His Freedom
Cody is sharing his experience as part of our “Personal Stories” series, inviting medicinal cannabis patients to share with the community how drug driving laws are impacting their quality of life. If you’d like to share your story, please email us at hello@drivechangemc.com.au Hi, my name is Cody. I’m 30 years old living with my […]
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One Size Does Not Fit All: Mick Palmer on the Need for Fit-For-Purpose Driving Laws in Australia
Former Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police speaks to Drive Change about the need for fit-for-purpose drug driving laws.
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Scientific Research: Cannabis Vs Other Drugs & Driving
Recently I co-authored an article called Cannabis & Driving, which was published in the Australian Journal of General Practice. The report reviewed the scientific evidence regarding cannabis and driving impairment. It also discusses the legal issues affecting patients and physicians. The findings lead us to conclude that medicinal cannabis should be treated the same way […]
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Drive Change Submission to NTC: Assessing Fitness to Drive
On the 11th of June 2021, the Drive Change Team responded to the National Transport Commission’s Assessment of Fitness To Drive Interim Report public consultation. We were lucky to have a majority of our Ambassadors, Supporters and Friends sign on to the submission, which we believe shows great support for ending discrimination toward medicinal cannabis […]
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An update on the VIC Medicinal Cannabis Patients and Driving Working Group
The Medicinal Cannabis Patients and Driving Working Group report has been in government hands for a few months. I am continuing to try and find the solution that will enable medicinal cannabis patients to drive when they are not impaired. Currently, medicinal cannabis patients are effectively prohibited from driving due to the medication that they […]
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The Truth: Roadside Drug Testing Doesn’t Reduce Road Trauma
At Drive Change, we lobby to exclude medicinal cannabis users from the draconian drug driving detection laws. There are numerous reasons these laws are just plain wrong. But, one of the arguments we keep coming up against is road safety. Opponents of law change are adamant that these laws are designed to improve road safety. […]
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THC improved my life; now, these unjust laws are hurting me.
This is the story of Deborah. Deborah is a mum and an active, productive member of society. She has been suffering from chronic pain for four years. Chronic pain changed her life: Chronic Pain affected the way I exercise and socialise. But the health aspect it had the most significant impact on was my mental […]
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Drive Change honoured to have presented to AMCA board on 4/20
The current state of Change It has been three months since the Drive Change campaign held its first Supporters & Stakeholder meeting. At the meeting, the Drive Change team presented why this campaign is crucial for future and existing patients. The team also asked both industry (product producers, importers and suppliers and the industry bodies […]
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8 Problems With Current Drug Driving Laws & Medicinal Cannabis
As someone working in the cannabis space, I constantly see people asking questions about their prescription cannabis and driving or raising their concerns about what could happen to them or how cannabis has changed their lives. Here are two quotes that I think sum up both the benefits of cannabis (for some) and the stupidity […]
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SA Greens MLC Tammy Franks Joins The Drive Change Movement
A big win for medicinal cannabis patients in SA and the Drive Change campaign! The current drug driving laws are discriminatory toward medical cannabis patients. The Drive Change campaign was started to help create driving law reform that’s fair, equal, and improves public health. We’re honoured to have SA Greens MLC Tammy Franks as a […]
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How to argue with those who support drug driving testing
We are now at 200,000 tests each year in NSW. Similar numbers in Victoria. Tens of thousands in every other state. I reckon we will be close to a million next year. That is a frigging big number. I have spoken in the press for a solid nine months. The Drive Change campaign, which is […]
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Tammy Franks Invites Drive Change Team To South Australian Parliament
Blog cover image by hypnotiseme. A bill for change. On Wednesday, 3 February 2021, I addressed a roundtable meeting of parliamentarians in Parliament House Adelaide via Microsoft Teams. This was at the invitation of Tammy Frank, Greens MLC. Tammy has been a Greens member of South Australia’s upper house since 2010. The roundtable was organised […]
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