The Victorian government has been accused of stalling on plans to allow medicinal cannabis users to get behind the wheel, as it announces details of a world-first trial.
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It is currently illegal for drivers in the state to have any detectable amount of THC, the active compound in medicinal cannabis, in their system.
The drug can often be detected for days after it is consumed.
Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday announced Swinburne University had been selected to conduct an 18-month trial to determine whether medicinal cannabis users can drive safely.
The $4.9 million trial, which the premier said was a "world-first", will test the ability of prescribed medicinal cannabis users to drive on a dedicated closed-circuit track.
The trial will mimic real-world driving conditions and researchers will review participants' ability to manage distractions and assess their driving performance including steering, braking and speed control.
It is expected to be completed by late 2025.
However, Legalise Cannabis MPs said the government was dragging their feet on the issue when the research had already been done in other countries.
Western Metropolitan Region MP David Ettershank said there were numerous government promises that the issue would be deal with within months, including by former premier Daniel Andrews in 2023.
Over a year later, he said there was now a further 18-month delay and accused the government of "intentionally stalling" on the issue.
"Effectively what this government is doing is taking this decision and kicking it down the road," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"Medicinal cannabis patients have been the subject of reference groups and task forces since the introduction of medicinal cannabis in 2016."
Ms Allan said legalising the use of medicinal cannabis had already changed the lives of so many Victorians.
"But what we have also heard from those Victorians is that they would like to see if they can also continue to get out and about into the community," she told reporters.
Lead researcher Luke Downey from the university's Drugs and Driving Research Unit said he and his team "support the Victorian government's commitment to evidence-based policy for road safety".
Alongside the trial, the government is also reviewing the road safety outcomes in other countries to ensure Victoria has access to the latest information and data on medicinal cannabis and driving.
Australian Associated Press
