Dr. Walker questions the Minister for Health regarding the potential for WA to adopt a similar policy to Victoria, granting magistrates discretion in medicinal cannabis driving cases. The Minister indicates the working group will consider the issue.

AnsweredQoN 1349Legislative Council
Asked
5 November 2024
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

MEDICAL CANNABIS —
DRIVING — MAGISTRATE DISCRETION
1349. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to the recent
announcement by the Victorian state government that it will give magistrates a discretionary
power to allow a driver with medicinal cannabis in his or her system to keep
their licence as long as they are not found to be impaired at the time of
testing.
(1) Would this
type of reform be within the scope of our own ministerial working group to
consider; and, if not, why not?
(2) Will the minister
canvass the view of her colleague the Attorney General to discern whether such
a discretion could be introduced via a simple amendment here in Western Australia?
(3) If no to any
or all of the above, can the minister explain why the Cook Labor government
continues to discriminate against medical cannabis patients when two other
Australian jurisdictions, Victoria and Tasmania, are driving change? Is the
government simply in ''wait awhile'' mode?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following has been provided by the Minister
for Health.
(1) Yes.
(2)–(3) The minister will await the recommendations from
the medicinal cannabis and safe driving working group . The group will
consider relevant evidence and views in developing its report.

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