Queensland Medicinal Cannabis Driving Law Rally

While other Australian states are moving towards laws that recognise the difference between presence and impairment, Queensland is proposing to punish patients even more. This isn’t about road safety. This is about deterrence and criminalising law abiding citizens who take a prescribed medicine. 

In response, Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party has organised a Medicinal Cannabis Driving Law Rally to be held at Queensland Parliament House, Corner of George and Alice Streets, Brisbane, commencing at midday on Tuesday (first sitting day of Parliament), 25 August 2026.

Master of Ceremonies, Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party Committe Member Zack, will welcome the Rally attendees and introduce the following speakers:

Jacki Verne, President, Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party Queensland is “doubling down” on motorists using medicinal cannabis with renewed calls for the State to get in line with “the rest of the world”. Jacki said the State's tough stance could leave thousands at risk of losing everything, including their licence.  For people like Jacki, of whom there are thousands, the rule changes could have a tremendous impact. “If I were pulled over right now, I would get done. It’s as simple as that”, she said. “If we wanted to talk about the impact that has on me, I live in regional Queensland, my job is a 40-minute drive away, so I wouldn’t be able to get to work. I would also have limited access to family and that would have a huge, huge impact on my life”.
	Michael Balderstone, President, Legalise Cannabis Australia Party In a recent edition of the Nimbin HEMP Embassy Headlines Michael noted, “I’ve been busted twice in New South Wales”. “I bet when they scan my number plates a big green flashing light goes off! It’s why the Coles delivery truck is always driving through Nimbin”.  “So many people have stopped driving as they find the whole thing too traumatising. Dirty war tactics is what it is. I know people who have not only lost their job when they lose their licence, some have lost their families as well”.
Professor David Heilpern, Southern Cross University and Drive Change David Heilpern stated that lawmakers should be asked why medicinal cannabis patients are singled out for punishment. Cannabis should be treated like every other prescription medication, as is the case in Tasmania, where the sky hasn’t fallen in, nor have road fatalities increased. The current law was created when cannabis was illegal and it is not fit for purpose anymore in Queensland. A positive roadside drug test does not prove that a person is impaired or unable to drive safely. However, under Queensland’s current zero-tolerance laws, medicinal cannabis patients can be treated like illicit drug users despite holding a legal prescription, following medical advice and being fit to drive.
	Dr John Teh, Medical Director, MBBS, Cannabinoid Clinician and Clinical Educator Dr Teh is one of Australia's most experienced cannabinoid clinicians, involved in integrative health practices since 2016.
Kyla de Clifford, Founder, Canna Curious Our drug-driving laws are outdated and we urgently need better data. “Drug use in drivers” can cover cannabis, methamphetamine, cocaine, prescription medicines, alcohol combined with other substances and polydrug use. When all of that is grouped together, it cannot tell us whether the presence of cannabis alone caused a crash or whether the driver was impaired at all. We need current, substance-specific data and laws that measure actual road-safety risk not simply whether THC remains detectable in someone’s system.
	Debbie Ranson, Registered Clinical Nurse Consultant Academic teacher at Australian Catholic University, Senior Cardiac Nurse for Queensland Health, also works in clinic with Consultant Psychologists, Women’s Health Nurses, Dieticians and Nurse Practitioners etc. Named Cannabis Nurse of the year for the third year running at the recent 2026 Cannabiz Industry Awards.
Michael Cope, President, Queensland Council for Civil Liberties
	Suzette Luyken, Party Secretary, Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party As prohibition is enforced at state level, alongside laws governing policing and driving, we need to be organised at that level to campaign for reform and common-sense cannabis policy and would appreciate you joining the grassroots campaign. Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party is continuing to grow and we sincerely hope you will join to help keep cannabis law reform happening.
Kaaz Kelly, Medicinal Cannabis Patient
	Michael Berkman MP, Member for Maiwar Queensland Greens MP, Member for Maiwar who was elected to the Queensland Parliament in 2017 and is a very popular local member for the inner western suburbs of Brisbane.
Shelly Morton, Founder, Her Highness Shelly posted on social media that patients who are legally prescribed medicinal cannabis should not have to live in fear of losing their licence simply because their medication may be detectable, and went on to note that, “This is about fairness. This is about patients. This is about change”.
	Adam Hillbrick, Retired Defence Force Personnel, Patient & Veteran Advocate Department of Veterans Affairs policy changes make it harder for veterans to access prescribed medicinal cannabis. Veterans deserve practical support and fair, evidence based cannabis policy.
Melanie Wentzel, Director, Medigrowth Working in collaboration with Deakin University and other research partners including Monash University, the University of Adelaide, the University of New South Wales and the University of Western Australia.

At the culmination of the speeches, after the patient testimonies read by LCQ Committee Member Orion, Zack will lead the crowd in a Call to Action with a rousing Rally Decree which will officially end the Rally.

Kindly note that for those who do not feel comfortable being seen in public supporting cannabis law reform (for a whole raft of reasons and the Party understands entirely), LCQ Party has had ‘Anonymity Leaves’ printed with rally slogans, for attendees who would like to cover their faces (they measure +30cm across).

“The argument against permitting prescribed medicinal cannabis users to drive on the roads suddenly falls down when it’s considered that constituents who are now prescribed psychoactive substances for their conditions, such as opiates and benzodiazepines, can freely drive upon state roads with no fear of being caught in an impaired state as no one is testing for their medicine”.

Paul Gregoire, Sydney Criminal Lawyers

Queenslanders To Rally Against Discriminatory Drug-Driving Laws at Parliament House next Tuesday—Midday to 2:00 pm

The Legalise Cannabis Queensland (LCQ) Party and its membership are up in arms about the proposed changes to RDT that are destined to pass into law by a majority LNP government, regardless of concerns expressed by the Opposition, medicinal-cannabis patients, legal experts, civil-liberties advocates, the industry and healthcare workers in a recent review of the drug driving laws.

These harsh new penalties do not exclude the 300,000 legally prescribed medicinal-cannabis patients in Queensland. Under the proposed changes, patients who have followed their doctor’s instructions and are not impaired will face higher penalties because traces of their legally prescribed medication remain in their system. The changes also make licence suspension mandatory which would negatively affect many patients living regionally or remotely, who depend on their licences to earn a living, or meet essential responsibilities.

Zero tolerance laws, at random static and mobile testing, would see patients caught up in the law enforcement net, facing higher penalties, longer suspensions and even jail for ‘repeat offending’. The proposed legislation would continue Queensland’s reliance on (proven unreliable) roadside saliva testing, with increased levels of testing, that detect THC at ANY level in saliva, but not establishing any impairment.

Current research shows repeatedly that THC can remain detectable long after any possible impairing effects have passed. LCQ Party President, Jacki Verne, said the proposed laws would unfairly punish patients for taking medication prescribed by qualified medical practitioners. “We strongly support road safety and do not support anyone driving while impaired by fatigue, cannabis, alcohol or any other substance”, Ms Verne said. “But this policy discriminates against disabled people taking a legal medicine. NO other medication is treated in this way”.

Medicinal cannabis is used by people from all walks of life including Mums and Dads, veterans and front-line workers to manage conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, anxiety, other mental health issues and workplace injuries. Patients should not have to choose between following their doctor’s treatment plan and retaining their licence, employment and independence.

Impairment must be the test. The mere presence of a legally prescribed medicine does not prove that somebody is a threat to other road users, especially when detected at five-billionths-of-a-gram per millilitre of saliva.

The LCQ Party will be holding a Protest Rally outside Parliament house in Brisbane on Tuesday, 25^th August, at the same time the law changes are on the agenda to be debated. The rally will be held from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm and will call on the Government to introduce evidence-based laws that test drivers for impairment rather than just presence of THC.

Speakers at the Rally will include:

• Professor David Heilpern—Dean of Law and Chair of Discipline at Southern Cross University and Drive Change

• Michael Berkman MP—Queensland Greens, Member for Maiwar

• Michael Cope—President, Queensland Council for Civil Liberties

• Dr John Teh—Medical Director, MBBS, Cannabinoid Clinician and Clinical Educator

• Kyla de Clifford—Founder, Canna Curious, Patient Advocate

• Suzette Luyken—Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party Secretary/Legalise Cannabis Australia Party Assistant Secretary

• Michael Balderstone—President, Legalise Cannabis Australia Party

• Melanie Wentzel—Director, Medigrowth/Cannabis Queens

• Kaaz Kelly—Patient

• Adam Hillbrick—Patient and Veteran Advocate

• Shelly Morton—Founder, Her Highness, Women’s Cannabis Support Group

• Debbie Ranson—Specialist Cannabinoid Registered Nurse Prescriber

• Jacki Verne—President, Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party

   

Brisbane Driving Law Rally Details

What: Protest rally against Queensland’s proposed drug-driving laws
When: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Time: 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
Where: Outside Queensland Parliament House, Cnr George and Alice Sts, Brisbane

Media Contact:
Jacki Verne
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0404 969 692

MEDIA RELEASE 19 August 2026

Please remember to register for the Event via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/1937174626998315 if you can) to give the LCQ Party a good idea of numbers attending. Thank you. 

Major Speaker Announcement

Professor David Heilpern was a magistrate and judicial trainer from 1998 (at the time the youngest magistrate in Australia) to 2020. Prior to this he was a litigation lawyer on the North Coast and co-founded the law school at Southern Cross University (SCU) in 1992. David graduated with a Masters in Law from SCU and was the Alumni of the Decade in 2005. He ‘retired’ after 21 years on the bench in New South Wales in May 2020. 

During his time on the bench, David was the principal educator for new magistrates throughout Australia and the Pacific and made several important reported decisions on criminal, environmental and evidence law. In August 2022 he was appointed as a Dean and Chair of Discipline (Law) at SCU. 

His comments after retirement about the injustice created by the offence of driving with a detectable level of ‘drugs’ are a clear demonstration of his character. He leads the organisation, Drive Change, alongside a team of advocates who joined forces to be part of the voice for cannabis law reform Australia-wide.

You can share any of the images above with a link to the Private Facebook Group for your friends and family to join!

The Legalise Cannabis Queensland (LCQ) Party is calling for your support in opposing the Queensland Government’s proposed random drug driving laws, which would impose harsher penalties on legally prescribed medicinal cannabis patients than those imposed for many drink driving offences! 

The State Government is aiming to push these laws through by 1 December 2026. Drug driving penalties will double, with higher fines and longer licence disqualifications and repeat drug drivers will face mandatory imprisonment. 

Further changes in 2027 will include expanded roadside drug testing, allowing police to conduct more tests and process drivers more quickly. The Queensland LNP is NOT considering fairer laws for prescribed medicinal cannabis patients. Meanwhile, New South Wales is moving ahead with reforms and Tasmania and Victoria already provide protections.

We Need Your Support

LCQ Party is organising a peaceful protest rally in Brisbane on the first sitting day, 25th of August, of the Queensland Parliament. We will be announcing speakers and other organisational details closer to the date and for regular updates please visit the Private Facebook Group, Brisbane Driving Law Rally 2026 or email for more information. If you can, please donate to our Rally Campaign. Thank you.