I started smoking cannabis when I was 16. Curiosity and peer pressure, I guess. It wasn’t regular at first, just every now and then. It took a few years before it really became part of my life. But once it did, I was on. I’d blaze all day, every day, any chance I had. When I got a bit older and had disposable income, it became 24/7. I was living the lifestyle.

That was street cannabis though, a very different beast to the regulated medicinal side. I got off it at 32. Sixteen years on, and now sixteen years off.

What happened next caught me off guard. Everything the THC had been keeping in check—my diabetes, my sleep apnoea, my hypothyroidism—started to unravel. We couldn’t figure out why until a test came back showing how long I’d been diabetic. That was the lightbulb moment. It had been medicating me all along, whether I realised it or not.

Now I’ve had gastric bypass surgery, which means no more oral anti-inflammatories. Inflammation is rising, as it does with age, and I feel the difference when I’m medicated. For me, cannabis isn’t a lifestyle anymore. It’s a legitimate part of managing my health.

But here’s the kicker. I’m not supposed to drive. Not at all. Let’s be real—I was a better driver when I was stoned than half the people on the road today. Ever been stuck behind an Uber doing 80 in the right lane on the Ipswich Motorway?

The truth is, I’m probably safer on the road when medicated. Because medicated doesn’t mean impaired. And that’s what we need to start acknowledging. There are devices that can test for actual impairment. So why don’t our police have them? Why is it still about THC presence and not ability?

We need concessions for prescription-medicated drivers. We need a legal threshold for recreational users too—something that clearly shows the difference between medicated and stoned. Sorry, but you know what I mean.

I want to see legal recreational use with a strong support system for anyone who struggles. I want cannabis cafes. I want industry expos. I want the right to grow at home.

I just want to live my life freely.