A veteran trauma specialist with three decades of experience treating victims of vehicle accidents has raised concerns over new cannabis laws proposed in New South Wales (NSW). The legislation, currently before the NSW parliament, would permit individuals prescribed medicinal cannabis to drive provided their saliva tests show THC levels below a specified threshold. While the government frames the bill as a compassionate reform, the medical professional warns it could endanger all road users.
The doctor, who has witnessed the rise and fall of road tolls in response to seatbelt laws, random breath testing, and speed cameras, notes that drug impairment is now a leading factor in fatal crashes in NSW. According to the expert, cannabis, particularly its psychoactive component THC, is the predominant drug detected in these incidents.
Central to the debate is the use of the term "medicinal" cannabis, which is argued to convey an image of carefully prescribed, clinically justified treatment for serious medical conditions such as cancer-related nausea or severe epilepsy. However, recent data challenges this portrayal. An investigation into Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) prescribing patterns found that 86 percent of medicinal cannabis products dispensed in Australia in 2024 are THC-dominant, containing more than 20 percent THC in many cases. Over 70 tonnes of high-THC dried flower were supplied nationwide during the year.
The most common conditions for which cannabis is prescribed include insomnia, anxiety, and chronic pain. While these are recognized health issues, the specialist notes that the evidence supporting cannabis efficacy for these conditions remains limited. Prescription approvals nationally exceeded one million in 2024, with approximately 250,000 approved patients residing in NSW.
Significantly, around 80 percent of these prescriptions were issued through online telehealth services, often involving brief consultations—typically a 10-minute video call—with no physical examination or specialist referral. The concentration of prescribing is highlighted by one practitioner identified by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, who issued over 17,000 prescriptions in a six-month period, averaging 90 scripts per day. The trauma specialist describes this volume as suggestive of a production line rather than individualized medical care.
The medical professional clarifies that the concern is not about denying access to cannabis for patients with genuine, difficult-to-treat conditions. Rather, there is apprehension that the "medicinal" label has been broadly applied to facilitate the growth of a commercial cannabis market, potentially compromising road safety. The call is for rigorous scrutiny of the proposed legislation and its implications, rather than its uncritical passage into law.