This page gathers what drivers and workers most often ask about CBD (cannabidiol). Roadside and workplace drug tests look for THC, not CBD, but many products sold or prescribed as CBD contain some THC. A prescription does not automatically protect you on the road or at work. Everything here is as of November 2026, and it is general information, not legal advice.
What do drivers and workers most need to know?
1. Tests look for THC, and the product decides the result
Workplace urine tests under AS/NZS 4308:2023 target THC-COOH, the substance the body turns THC into, and saliva tests under AS/NZS 4760:2019 target THC itself. CBD is not a target.1 A Schedule 4 “CBD-only” medicine must be at least 98% CBD by cannabinoid content, and the remaining 2% can include a little THC.2 In a controlled study, pure CBD caused no confirmed positive urine tests, but CBD-dominant cannabis with a small amount of THC did in two of six people.3
2. Driving with any THC is an offence almost everywhere
Every state and territory has a THC presence offence. Tasmania is the only place with a defence in force: no offence if the drug “was obtained and administered in accordance with the Poisons Act 1971”.4 New South Wales passed a registration scheme for prescribed patients on 17 September 2026, but it starts on a date to be proclaimed and is not yet in force.5 Driving while impaired by any drug, including a prescribed one, is a separate offence everywhere.
3. A prescription is not a shield at work
Union and employer-association reports of Fair Work Commission cases describe a 2024 dismissal being upheld where a worker using prescribed medicinal cannabis tested positive under a cut-off-based policy, with non-disclosure counting against the worker.6 In a 2025 Full Bench decision, a council worker who had disclosed a CBD prescription was found to have been unfairly dismissed.7 These cases involved THC, and our guide notes we have not read the decisions themselves.
4. Safety-critical roles carry extra duties
CBD can cause drowsiness. Western Australia’s work safety regulator says a worker “in a role where impairment may present a risk” has “a responsibility to notify your employer”. It lists transport, construction, mining, exploration and drilling, explosives and mobile plant as areas of concern.8
Guides for drivers and workers
Driving
- CBD and driving in Australia: the full state and territory table, what is changing, and the two Australian driving studies of CBD.
- Can you drive on CBD oil? and Is a prescription a defence for drug driving?: short answers.
- State pages with penalties and local detail: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory.
Work
- CBD at work: the testing standards, tribunal cases, disclosure, safety-sensitive work and a checklist.
- Can you be sacked for using prescribed CBD?: the short answer.
- Will CBD show up on a drug test?: the studies, cut-off levels, and why stomach acid does not turn CBD into THC.
- How long does CBD stay in your system?: detection after regular use.
Knowing what is in a product
- Can you get CBD oil with no THC?: why no product comes with a guarantee.
- Full spectrum vs broad spectrum vs isolate and How to read a certificate of analysis: how to find out how much THC a batch contains.
Fitness for work and driving
- CBD side effects, CBD and alcohol and CBD drug interactions: sleepiness, and what adds to it.
- Travelling with CBD: carrying prescribed CBD between states and overseas.
Questions our guides do not yet answer
Workers ask about rules for nurses, pilots, police, defence members, train and heavy vehicle drivers, about discrimination law, and about pre-employment medicals. Our research did not cover the rules for specific regulated occupations or how discrimination law applies to prescribed CBD. Ask the regulator, your employer’s medical officer, your union or a legal service.
Questions to ask before you start
Ask your prescriber whether the product is Schedule 4 (CBD-only) or Schedule 8, how much THC each dose contains, and whether it could make you drowsy with your other medicines. Read your workplace drug and alcohol policy, and tell your prescriber what your job involves.
Footnotes
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Alcolizer Technology. What are the Australian Standard drug class screening cut-off levels? (industry summary of the standards). https://alcolizer.com/what-are-the-australian-standard-drug-class-screening-cut-off-levels/ ↩
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Australian Government. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01327/asmade/2026-09-30/text/original/pdf ↩
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Controlled study of urine drug test results after oral and vaporised pure CBD and vaporised CBD-dominant cannabis. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31682266/ ↩
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Tasmanian Legislation. Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1970, s 6A. https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1970-077 ↩
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Parliament of New South Wales. Road Transport Legislation Amendment (Medical Cannabis and Driving Offences) Bill 2026, as passed by both Houses. https://files.parliament.nsw.gov.au/fileapi/ParlFiles/GetArtifact?serverRelativeUrl=%2Fbill%2Ffiles%2F18920%2FPassed+by+both+Houses.pdf ↩
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Victorian Trades Hall Council, OHS Reps. Worker lawfully dismissed for medicinal cannabis use. https://www.ohsrep.org.au/regulator_news_sn_730_worker_lawfully_dismissed_for_medicinal_cannabis_use ↩
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Victorian Trades Hall Council, OHS Reps. Council’s cannabis appeal fails (reporting [2025] FWCFB 69). https://www.ohsrep.org.au/council_s_cannabis_appeal_fails_sn_762 ↩
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Government of Western Australia, WorkSafe. Medicinal cannabis in the workplace: information sheet, 2025. https://worksafe.wa.gov.au/system/files/documents/2025-01/BR_MedicinalCannabis_0.pdf ↩
Common questions
Can you drive on CBD oil in Australia?
Government sources in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland say patients taking cannabidiol-only medicines can lawfully drive as long as they are not impaired. We found no equivalent official statement for the other states and territories. Products that contain THC are treated differently everywhere, and driving while impaired by any medicine is an offence in every jurisdiction.
Do roadside saliva tests detect CBD?
No. Roadside oral fluid tests are designed to detect THC and some other drugs. CBD is not a target. A positive result after taking a CBD product almost always means the product contained THC.
Is a prescription a defence if I test positive for THC while driving?
As of November 2026, only in Tasmania. Victoria lets a court decide not to cancel the licence of a prescribed patient, but the offence and fine still apply. New South Wales has passed a registration scheme that has not started.
Can I be sacked for a positive drug test if I have a prescription?
Possibly. Secondary reports of Fair Work Commission decisions describe at least one dismissal being upheld where a worker with a prescription tested positive for THC under a workplace policy. Other workers have won because the employer did not follow a fair process.
Do I have to tell my employer I am prescribed CBD?
It depends on your role and your workplace policy. Western Australia's work safety regulator says workers in roles where impairment may present a risk have a responsibility to notify their employer about prescribed medicinal cannabis. In reported tribunal cases, non-disclosure has counted against workers.
Can I use CBD if I work FIFO or in mining?
We found no rule that bans CBD itself, but mining and other safety-critical work usually involve regular testing for THC and strict site policies. Check your site policy, and tell any prescriber what your job involves.
This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
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