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Can you drive on CBD oil in Australia?

Official advice in NSW, Victoria and Queensland is that people on CBD-only medicine can drive if not impaired. Any THC in the product changes the answer.

Facts checked 13 November 20263 min readHow we research

If your medicine contains only CBD and you are not impaired, official advice in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland is that you can lawfully drive. The risk lies in THC. Roadside tests look for THC, and many products sold as CBD contain some.123

What do the states say about CBD-only medicine?

  • New South Wales: “Patients taking cannabidiol(CBD)-only medicines can lawfully drive if they are not impaired.”3
  • Victoria: “If you are taking cannabidiol-only (CBD) medicines, you can legally drive, as long as you are not impaired.”1
  • Queensland: “Patients taking cannabidiol-only (CBD) medicinal cannabis can lawfully drive, as long as they are not impaired.”2

We could not find equivalent official wording for South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory. Driving while impaired by any drug is an offence everywhere.

Why does THC matter so much?

THC is the compound in cannabis that causes a high. Every jurisdiction makes it an offence to drive with THC present in saliva or blood. Only Tasmania’s law has a defence for THC that was obtained and taken in line with its Poisons Act.4 Elsewhere, a prescription does not excuse a positive test.

Queensland puts it plainly: “It is an offence in Queensland for a person to drive with any amount of THC in their system, whether it was prescribed or taken illegally.”2

New South Wales passed a registration scheme for prescribed patients in September 2026, with a THC threshold. As of November 2026 it had not commenced, so zero tolerance still applies there.5

Can a CBD product contain THC?

Yes. A lawful CBD-only medicine may contain up to 2 per cent other cannabinoids.6 Victoria’s patient fact sheet warns that “some that contain mostly CBD may also contain very small amounts of THC”.1 Products described as “CBD-dominant” are Schedule 8 medicines that can contain meaningful THC.6

Ask your prescriber or pharmacist exactly how much THC is in your product.

Does CBD itself affect driving?

Small studies suggest not much, with caveats.

  • In an on-road study of 26 people, vaporised CBD-dominant cannabis did not increase lane weaving compared with placebo. The CBD dose was low, and the authors cautioned that the result may not rule out an effect.7
  • In a simulator study of 17 people, oral CBD at 15, 300 or 1,500 mg did not impair thinking or cause a feeling of intoxication. Some driving comparisons were inconclusive.8

CBD can cause sleepiness, particularly with alcohol or sedating medicines.9 If you feel drowsy, do not drive.

Read the full guide: CBD and driving in Australia.

Footnotes

  1. Victorian Government. Medicinal cannabis and driving: patient fact sheet. https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/stategovernc45d-cftw-production-c9ca/media/Project/TransportWebsite/Forms/medicinal-cannabis-and-driving-patient-factsheet.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Queensland Parliament. Answer to question on notice 1224, 2020. https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/tableoffice/questionsanswers/2020/1224-2020.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. NSW Government, Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research and Innovation. Driving (information for patients). Read from a copy captured on 29 March 2026. https://www.medicinalcannabis.nsw.gov.au/patients/driving ↩ ↩2

  4. Tasmania. Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1970, section 6A. https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1970-077 ↩

  5. NSW Parliament. 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 ↩

  6. Australian Government. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01327/asmade/2026-09-30/text/original/pdf ↩ ↩2

  7. Arkell TR and others. Effect of cannabidiol and THC on driving performance. JAMA, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.21218 ↩

  8. McCartney D and others. Effects of cannabidiol on simulated driving and cognitive performance. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35637624/ ↩

  9. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing information, United States. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8bf27097-4870-43fb-94f0-f3d0871d1eec ↩

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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