on November 3, 2015
As Justin Trudeau’s Liberals prepare to tackle the politics of legalizing weed, one challenge they face is how to crack down on those who light-up before getting behind the wheel.
Trudeau has not revealed exactly how he plans to fulfill his election promise and it’s not clear whether Parliament would limit how much someone could smoke before driving. But looking at how states like Colorado and Washington deal with drivers who have smoked marijuana could provide a blueprint.
Back in February 17 2015 there was a new study that shows no link between marijuana use and car accidents.
The effect of marijuana use on drivers just became a little less hazy – and not in the way legislators or medical experts might expect.
A new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that consuming marijuana does not elevate the crash risk of the driver, a result that’s leaving road safety decision-makers wanting more information.
The study looked at more than 3,000 drivers involved in crashes over a 20-month period in Virginia Beach, Va., measuring which substances — if any — were in their systems at the time of the accident. The study also included 6,000 control drivers in the same area over the same time period who were not involved in any accidents.
Unsurprisingly, the results showed that drivers with alcohol in their systems were far more likely to crash. Adjusted for age and gender, the study found a driver with a blood alcohol content of .08, the legal limit, is four times as likely to crash as a driver with no alcohol in his or her body. When BAC hits .15, drivers are 12 times as likely to get into an accident.
What’s more unexpected, the odds — adjusted for age and gender — of a driver with THC in his or her system crashing are only 5% higher than those of a sober driver.
While the study indicates a difference between how THC and alcohol actually intoxicates drivers, they are treated the same way by police officers on the road. However, the drivers caught with marijuana in their systems: most of them are under the influence of other drugs, usually alcohol.
We also have seen a video on Youtube: "Drivers stoned on marijuana test their driving skills" three drivers of varying ages got incredibly high on marijuana and test-drove cars around a course. A driving-ed instructor accompanied them to avert any chance of an accident, and police watched from the sidelines to spot any visible 'signs' of inebriation in their movements.
How did the 'impaired' volunteers actually do? Well at a certain point, the substance had an undeniable effect on their ability to navigate a vehicle sensibly. But they all maintained surprising control, even at incredibly excessive levels of marijuana consumption. Moreover, unlike drunk drivers, they were very much aware of their state and agreed they were not on top of their game. Without over-indulging, it seems people's critical thinking can be trusted more with a few hits than a couple of drinks.
The question is Are the government worrying too much about driving under the influence of marijuana? Should it be categorize as alcohol? What about those who drive under the influence of prescription drugs? What are your thoughts?
video on driving under the influence of marijuana : https://youtu.be/dw1HavgoK9E
Laurie Canadian420
Trudeau has not revealed exactly how he plans to fulfill his election promise and it’s not clear whether Parliament would limit how much someone could smoke before driving. But looking at how states like Colorado and Washington deal with drivers who have smoked marijuana could provide a blueprint.
Back in February 17 2015 there was a new study that shows no link between marijuana use and car accidents.
The effect of marijuana use on drivers just became a little less hazy – and not in the way legislators or medical experts might expect.
A new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that consuming marijuana does not elevate the crash risk of the driver, a result that’s leaving road safety decision-makers wanting more information.
The study looked at more than 3,000 drivers involved in crashes over a 20-month period in Virginia Beach, Va., measuring which substances — if any — were in their systems at the time of the accident. The study also included 6,000 control drivers in the same area over the same time period who were not involved in any accidents.
Unsurprisingly, the results showed that drivers with alcohol in their systems were far more likely to crash. Adjusted for age and gender, the study found a driver with a blood alcohol content of .08, the legal limit, is four times as likely to crash as a driver with no alcohol in his or her body. When BAC hits .15, drivers are 12 times as likely to get into an accident.
What’s more unexpected, the odds — adjusted for age and gender — of a driver with THC in his or her system crashing are only 5% higher than those of a sober driver.
While the study indicates a difference between how THC and alcohol actually intoxicates drivers, they are treated the same way by police officers on the road. However, the drivers caught with marijuana in their systems: most of them are under the influence of other drugs, usually alcohol.
We also have seen a video on Youtube: "Drivers stoned on marijuana test their driving skills" three drivers of varying ages got incredibly high on marijuana and test-drove cars around a course. A driving-ed instructor accompanied them to avert any chance of an accident, and police watched from the sidelines to spot any visible 'signs' of inebriation in their movements.
How did the 'impaired' volunteers actually do? Well at a certain point, the substance had an undeniable effect on their ability to navigate a vehicle sensibly. But they all maintained surprising control, even at incredibly excessive levels of marijuana consumption. Moreover, unlike drunk drivers, they were very much aware of their state and agreed they were not on top of their game. Without over-indulging, it seems people's critical thinking can be trusted more with a few hits than a couple of drinks.
The question is Are the government worrying too much about driving under the influence of marijuana? Should it be categorize as alcohol? What about those who drive under the influence of prescription drugs? What are your thoughts?
video on driving under the influence of marijuana : https://youtu.be/dw1HavgoK9E
Laurie Canadian420
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