Dylan Robertson, 29, previously of Portland and now of Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to driving offences.

The court heard between November 23, 2018 and April 22 this year, Robertson was caught driving with ice in his system seven times at various locations, including Warrnambool, Allestree, Portland and Yambuk.

His lawyer Adam Bellman said his client had a one gram-per-day ice habit and an extensive criminal history, which included being an accessory after the fact to a drug-related murder in Portland in 2012.

Robertson served nearly 18 months in jail for that offending. Mr Bellman said during that time his client stopped using drugs, quit smoking and underwent a number of courses while in custody.

Magistrate Mark Stratmann said Robertson had "absolutely no regard for safe driving".

"You may not have this view but the view of the law and the community is that (drug driving) puts other road users at serious risk," he said.

"You simply cannot drive when you've got a licence when you have drugs in your system."

Robertson was placed on a 12-month community corrections order with conditions he do 200 hours of unpaid community work. His licence was disqualified for 12 months.

In a separate incident, a Warrnambool man with an appalling driving history has been taken off the road for 15 months for drug driving.

Matthew Hickman, 37, of Smith Street, was intercepted driving a silver Holden Commodore sedan east on Warrnambool's Timor Street about 3.15pm on November 30. He tested positive for methamphetamine.

He told police he smoked cannabis two nights prior.

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Then on March 22 he was intercepted driving the same vehicle on Warrnambool's Botanic Street about 12pm. He tested positive for cannabis.

Hickman's criminal history includes driving while disqualified, driving an unregistered vehicle, breaching an alcohol interlock condition, exceeding 100km/h and two counts of drink driving.

Magistrate Franz Holzer said Hickman was a "hazard to the community".

"I would jail you if I could," he said.

"Although the government has done things to address combined alcohol and drug driving, there is still a gap which means that those people who come before the court on drug driving alone, cannot be jailed. It's a curiosity.

"It's an unusual situation because people who are drug affected are equally as dangerous to us and the community as people who are affected by alcohol. It doesn't make much sense to me but you're lucky you don't have a matter that attracts a jail sentence."

Mr Holzer urged Hickman to be sensible and get off the drugs.

"Drugs can stay in your system for days, sometimes weeks," he said.

"You'd be a mug to think you can just simply use drugs and then drive a day or two later. Be sensible about it."

Hickman was fined $800, ordered to pay $127.50 statutory costs and his licence was cancelled for 15 months.

The more common drug driving offence, which is failing an oral fluid test, does not have jail time as a penalty.

Offences including driving under the influence, driving while impaired, and combined drink and drug driving carry terms of imprisonment ranging from three to 18 months. Those offences have a higher evidentiary burden than a roadside drug test alone.

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