When veteran and medicinal cannabis user Michael James tested positive for THC during a roadside stop, he could not see past his humiliation.
It had been more than 12 hours since he took his prescription medicine and its effects had long dissipated, but he was still fined.
"The embarrassment that I felt was incredible," he told reporters on Thursday.
"I'm an ex-military policeman, I obey the law, I was taking a prescribed medication from my doctor for injuries that I've received in service to this country."
But Mr James, alongside 300,000 other medicinal cannabis users, will be able to take the wheel without fear of losing his licence under a world-first program that will transform NSW's drug driving laws.
Under current laws, those who test positive to two roadside oral fluid tests can be slapped with a 24-hour driving prohibition, forcing many to abandon their cars and find alternate ways home, which can be particularly difficult for those in regional areas.
