South Australia – Driver admits to using medical cannabis but police say ok

This report illustrates that there appears to be little co-ordination with police on how the issue should be managed

 

A motorist on a road trip has drawn attention to Australia’s evolving medical marijuana legislation after capturing the moment police let him pass through their drug checkpoint despite confessing he had just used marijuana on camera.

Two YouTubers from the Gold Coast named Paton and Steeze released a video of their experience with a random roadside drug test on Friday when they were traveling to northern New South Wales.

One of the officers questioned the driver via the vehicle window, “Have you had anything unlawful in the recent couple of days?”

The driver said, “Umm, I’m given medical cannabis so yesterday afternoon I got a joint.”

After doing the test, the policeman enquired as to how the man had taken the medication.

I can vaporize it or smoke it, he said.

The officer authorized them to proceed after examining his driver’s license and the pharmaceutical container with a prescription label.

The officer noted, “I’ve never seen this legal before… it’s generally in a baggie and people pretend they have a prescription.”

The two said, “Let’s go!” as they sped off.

Steeze, the driver, who is 25 years old, admitted to Daily Mail Australia that he uses cannabis for medical purposes.

Steeze said that her epilepsy is utilized to assist her regulate her sleep and prevent situations in which she may not get enough sleep and have a seizure.

Additionally, the 22-year-old passenger Paton has a prescription for both Eustachian tube dysfunction and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) (EDT).

He said, “It’s simply like dizziness that becomes extremely persistent and awful, so after being taken valium, I received a prescription for it to calm down the anxiousness.”

Steeze clarified that he wasn’t impaired when driving.

“If not impacted, you can drive,” the bottle of the medicine states, so we were certain we would pass the roadside drug test.

We hadn’t smoked on that day, but we had a joint the day before, so we weren’t harmed.

“We would never operate a vehicle while intoxicated.”

Hundreds of comments were left on the video by appalled viewers.

One individual responded, “No f***ing way dude.”

Another person commented, “Is this typical in Australia? This is crazy.”

The two were going to Nimbin to attend the town’s yearly Mardi Gras celebration.

Although medical marijuana acquired with a doctor’s prescription is now legal in Australia, recreational marijuana usage remains banned.

Driving when directly impaired by THC, the active ingredient, is still illegal in Australia.

Later this year, the Greens want to forward a draft measure that would legalize marijuana usage for recreational purposes to the federal parliament.

A commonwealth legislation might, in accordance with legal counsel acquired from the Greens, replace state laws that prohibit the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, but such a bill would need to be approved by both houses of parliament.

Driver passes drug test for medicinal cannabis in Australia

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