Statement by Cate Faehrmann MLC
“On Wednesday 19 March 2025, I secured the support of the NSW Legislative Council calling on NSW Police, NSW Health and other relevant government agencies to release all data relating to mobile drug testing and medicinal cannabis.
There is currently a distinct lack of available data and information to assess the value and effectiveness of the mobile drug testing program. I’ve asked for documents that detail the number of positive and false positive tests broken down by drug type, and the data on positive tests of THC for drivers who have a valid prescription for medicinal cannabis.
The motion also requests the cost to the taxpayer of conducting the mobile drug testing program and how the funding is provided to the NSW Police for the program including the annual budget, the cost of each initial test and any external contracts and consultants for the program.
This data will help us analyse exactly how many people are having their lives impacted by these unjust laws, and at what cost to the taxpayer. It will ensure the government is transparent about the effectiveness of this program, and guide our next steps in the campaign to legislate a fair defence for medicinal cannabis users on the road.
A massive thank you to everyone at Drive Change and the Cannabis Law Reform Alliance for leading the charge on roadside drug testing law reform.”
