A current and upcoming debate in DUI Laws is whether Marijuana, (aka Pot, Mary Jane, Chronic, Weed, etc.) impairs a motorist’s ability to operate a vehicle. More importantly is the fact that Marijuana has a long “shelf life”, meaning that it can exist in a person’s blood stream long after having any effect on their mental and motor skills.
Read more on the efforts to reform DUI laws: Stoned driving or just THC positive?
“Although it is tempting to consider the possibility of simply adapting the same techniques, policies, procedures and countermeasures that were developed for the drinking and driving problem to deal with the marijuana and driving issue, such an approach belies the complexity of the issue. Whereas there may be similarities and parallels between drinking and driving and marijuana and driving, it is important to appreciate that the differences are substantial.” Source
When someone with, for instance, a spinal cord injury is properly medicated with marijuana to relieve muscle spasms, that person is a far safer driver than if they were not medicated at all (since muscle spasms can effect one’s ability to keep their hands on the wheel) or, medicated with pharmaceutical muscle relaxants. “Properly medicated” means symptoms are relieved, but the patient is not “high” and can still function normally.
The safety hazards of smoking marijuana and driving are overrated, says University of Toronto researcher Alison Smiley.
Recent research into impairment and traffic accident reports from several countries shows that marijuana taken alone in moderate amounts does not significantly increase a driver’s risk of causing an accident — unlike alcohol, says Smiley, an adjunct professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering. While smoking marijuana does impair driving ability, it does not share alcohol’s effect on judgment. Drivers on marijuana remain aware of their impairment, prompting them to slow down and drive more cautiously to compensate, she says.
Source: University Of Toronto Study Shows Marijuana Not A Factor In Driving Accidents
