A trio of Aussie sporting heroes is stepping up to the plate for medicinal cannabis users. AFL coaches Damien Hardwick and Alastair Clarkson, along with champion jockey Damien Oliver, are urging the Victorian government to change driving laws that unfairly target patients using medicinal cannabis.

Victoria was the first state to legalise medicinal cannabis, but there's a catch: it's still illegal to drive with any THC in your system, even if it's from prescribed medication. Here's the kicker: THC can linger in your body for weeks, even if you're no longer impaired. So, patients who use medicinal cannabis face the risk of losing their license, even if they're perfectly safe to drive.

The "Let Patients Drive" campaign, backed by the Cannabis Council Australia and Victorian Legalise Cannabis MPs, wants the government to give these patients a legal defense. This would mean that if they're not impaired and have a prescription, they shouldn't be penalised for a positive drug test.

Clarkson, who uses medicinal cannabis for chronic pain, says athletes deserve the right to effective pain medication without fear of losing their license. Hardwick, also a medicinal cannabis user, points to Tasmania where a legal defence for such drivers already exists.

The Victorian government has approved an 18-month trial to study medicinal cannabis users driving on a closed track. But advocates argue that patients need a solution now, not in a year and a half.

The Legalise Cannabis Party will be debating a motion in parliament, pushing for immediate action. Will the government listen to these sporting legends and the growing chorus of voices calling for change? We'll have to wait and see.