CCA welcomes Northern Territory committee recommendation on medicinal cannabis and driving

The Northern Territory Parliament has passed the Traffic Legislation Amendment (Drink and Drug Driving and Hooning) Act 2026, substantially strengthening driving laws across the Territory.

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Designed to target the NT's high road toll, the new legislation introduces penalties of up to $9,700 and two years' imprisonment for a newly created "combined high-range drink and drug-driving" offence. The laws also give police new powers, including passive roadside breath testing and automatic 14-day vehicle impoundments for repeat offenders.

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Of key interest to medicinal cannabis patients and their healthcare practitioners, the Legislative Scrutiny Committee reviewing the Bill considered the complex overlap between presence-based drug laws and prescribed therapies. While medicinal cannabis and driving were beyond the scope of the Bill, the Committee included Recommendation 2 in its final report:

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"The Committee recommends that the Government consider amending the Traffic Act 1987 and the Traffic Regulations 1999 to permit persons who hold a medicinal cannabis prescription to lawfully drive in the Northern Territory with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) present in their system, including relevant safeguards that should apply and with reference to legal frameworks, approaches and reports of other jurisdictions."

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"While it currently remains an offence to drive with detectable THC in the NT, CCA congratulates the Northern Territory committee on making a recommendation that the Government consider future amendments to the Traffic Act 1987 and the Traffic Regulations 1999 to reform drug driving regulations for medicinal cannabis patients," said CCA CEO Lisa Penlington.

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"However, the regulatory road map for patients travelling across Australia remains fractured. NSW recently passed the Road Transport Legislation Amendment (Medical Cannabis and Driving Offences) Bill 2026, and we await the outcome of Victoria's driving trial. It remains disappointing that Queensland recently took a zero-tolerance approach, doubling penalties and ignoring medicinal cannabis patients. The ACT Legislative Assembly's Standing Committee on Transport and City Services is due to report back on its inquiry into medicinal cannabis driving reform on 6 November."

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Until reform takes effect in the Northern Territory, patients must continue to follow current law. Driving while impaired remains an offence regardless of prescription.

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