How marijuana affects driving

The Straight Dope On Smoking Weed And Driving

There's plenty of excellent information on how marijuana affects driving. Much of the information on driving and marijuana contradicts itself. However, NORML has an excellent archive of material highlighting numerous extensive studies on the subject. Where organization opposed to marijuana had little factual information to back their claims.

Regular cannabis users who engage in activities like video games or recreational sports after smoking a joint argue they perform better on pot. Which is true to some degree. Marijuana in moderation does appear to have little affect or influence on motor vehicle performance.

"Smoking THC cigarettes caused drivers to drive slower in a dose-dependent manner, while alcohol caused drivers to drive significantly faster than in ‘control’ conditions." Researchers at University of the Negev in Israel reported.

In other words drivers who inhaled marijuana drove better than those who downed a pint or glass of wine before driving. Booze is much more detrimental to a drivers motor vehicle performance than weed. The number of potheads getting into accidents is dramatically lower than drinkers or even people who take prescription medication.

This is confirmed by a 1993 study by Netherlands University of Maastrict, which reported the effects of cannabis on people driving performance, "never exceeded alcohol's at BACs of .08% and were in no way unusual compared to many medicinal drugs." Their 2004 follow up report again confirmed what cannabis enthusiasts already know, weed has little impairing effects.

Canadian researchers concluded in Canadian Journal of Public Health cannabis users recognized their impairment and drove accordingly. Drivers impaired by marijuana operated motor vehicles slower, became more cautious drivers. While those who drank before driving a car were reckless. Taking more chances. Boosted by boozes overconfident feeling.

The British Medical Journal also reported findings that people who consumed cannabis and drove had far fewer accidents than people who drank. Those who speed or drink were ten times more likely to cause a motor vehicle accident than potheads.

The Speed Network performed an un-scientific test on a marijuana enthusiast to see how well the driver performed after one of their own standard joints. Their control consisted of the driver taking the test before toking and then after inhaling marijuana.

The results astounded the producers, with the host proclaiming, "I can see no deterioration in your driving skills."

"I'm finding it easier to concentrate," the driver replied.

Throwing in an emergency stop didn't deter his ability to control the car.

Even with plenty of positive information on driving under the influence of cannabis, there's plenty of organizations that release dubious reports about marijuana harming driving. About.com reports, "Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely."

In a dubious (un hyper linked) study, About.com reports, that "Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine."

Recently USA Today ran a screaming headline Men Who Smoke Pot More Likily To Be In Road Accidents. Not reported were how many men had breakfast before having an accident. Or drank orange juice before causing a road accident. Other articles include Men Who Smoke Pot More Accident Prone.

Versus men who do what exactly? "We observed that dangerous driving behaviors are interrelated. Individuals scoring high on impulsively or sensation-seeking scales demonstrated an elevated risk of driving under the influence of cannabis," study senior author Jacques Bergeron, a professor in the department of psychology at the Universitede Montreal, said in a school news release.

Marijuana can remain in a users system for up to 30 days. Unfortunately, many countries have laws against drugged driving. With no effective measurement in place tolerance levels have been placed at zero. Someone could smoke weed a week prior to an accident and still turn up positive at an accident scene for drugged driving.

In 15 states (Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin), it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle if there is any detectable level of a prohibited drug, or its metabolites, in the driver's blood. Other state laws define "drugged driving" as driving when a drug "renders the driver incapable of driving safely" or "causes the driver to be impaired."

Continue reading here: Marijuana Usage in Modern World

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