Sutherland Shire drug driving: Cameron Smith charged
An NBN contractor who was caught driving with cannabis in his blood twice in less than a year thought he’d be alright to drive because he waited a week after his last joint before getting back behind the wheel.
St George Shire Standard
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An NBN contractor who was caught driving with cannabis in his blood twice in less than a year stayed off the road for a week after smoking a joint to try and avoid detection again.
Cameron Smith, 20, was caught driving with cannabis in his blood in Jannali on January 17 after police stopped him for a random drug test.
The young worker was already subject to an 18-month conditional release order after he was caught driving with cannabis in his blood the first time in April 2019.
At Sutherland Local Court on Thursday his solicitor Timothy Scott said Smith was using cannabis as a coping mechanism for some personal issues.
“He was under the mistaken belief that he needed to stay off the road for one week after smoking,” Mr Scott told the court.
“He accepts consumption of cannabis is illegal and it’s not acceptable to be smoking it by any means, its use is detrimental to public safety.”
Magistrate Michael Connell sentenced Smith to a $450 fine and a three-month disqualification after he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
“The offender was subject to conditional liberty at the time he committed the later offence,” Mr Connell said.
“There are no other matters on the offender’s driving history.”
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation Australia warns random roadside saliva tests can detect the active ingredient in cannabis for about 12 hours in infrequent or recreational users.
“However, for people who frequently use cannabis THC can be detectable for around 30 hours,” the foundation states.
“It is important for people who use cannabis frequently to know that THC can be detected in urine samples for around a month after cannabis was last used because the body stores THC in fat cells for a period of time.”
In NSW people caught driving with cannabis in their blood face a maximum fine of $2200 and a possible 12-month driving disqualification.