• A study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concludes that driving after smoking
    200 replies, posted
[QUOTE=cody8295;47108697][url]http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/02/07/3620555/marijuana-use-in-car-crashes/[/url][/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Media reports and anti-pot legalization advocates have hyped the idea that “drugged driving” would wreak havoc on the roads now that states are beginning to legalize marijuana. In fact, highway fatalities have gone down since Colorado legalized marijuana. The NHTSA findings, published Friday, come on the heels of another marijuana study conducted by Emory University. Researchers at the university concluded that people who smoked one joint a day did not have significantly impaired lung function, when compared to non-smokers. When taken together, the reports are good news for pot fans. But additional research on the effects of marijuana is also invaluable to state lawmakers who are ironing out the logistics of legalization. Recreational use became legal in the Centennial State on January 1, 2014, and cannabis fans are even allowed to grow their own plants. Yet there are still numerous restrictions, such as the inability to smoke in public accommodations. To clarify the law and educate people about how to use recreational pot responsibly, the state’s health department recently launched the ‘Good to Know’ campaign, a large-scale, $5.7 million, public education project. [/QUOTE]
[quote] To clarify the law and educate people about how to use recreational pot responsibly, the state’s health department recently launched the ‘Good to Know’ campaign, a large-scale, $5.7 million, public education project.[/quote] If you want to make something like this work, educating the public is paramount. I'm very happy to see this more than anything.
[URL="http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812117-Drug_and_Alcohol_Crash_Risk.pdf"]Heres the study[/URL] Pretty cool findings actually. Theres more studies to be done since this is the first one. This does not mean that you should get into a vehicle with someone who is under the influence of any drug, including marijuana. [or alcohol, obviously] [quote]“Drivers should never get behind the wheel impaired, and we know that marijuana impairs judgment, reaction times and awareness,” said Jeff Michael, NHTSA’s associate administrator for research and program development. “These findings highlight the importance of research to better understand how marijuana use affects drivers so states and communities can craft the best safety policies.”[/quote]
[QUOTE]In the study, testing positive for marijuana was defined as having delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal (THC) in the system. The number of legal drug users and illegal drug users involved in crashes was statistically insignificant. Nevertheless, marijuana use does impact drivers’ senses, the study warned, and the number of drivers with marijuana in their system is on the rise. According to the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection director, Jeff Michael, “Drivers should never get behind the wheel impaired, and we know that marijuana impairs judgment, reaction times and awareness.”[/QUOTE] Having THC in your system doesn't make you more likely to get in an accident. HOWEVER, driving under the influence (while high) definitely makes you more likely to get in an accident. This is nothing new.
Pot and driving is perfectly safe so long as it's illegal, because pot smokers will be too afraid to leave their drive way [editline]9th February 2015[/editline] outside of that though, this is FANTASTIC news for legalization.
[QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;47108835]Having THC in your system doesn't make you more likely to get in an accident. HOWEVER, driving under the influence (while high) definitely makes you more likely to get in an accident. This is nothing new.[/QUOTE] IIRC it stays in your blood for something like a month, so yeah, not really surprising that if you smoke a joint it won't affect your driving two weeks later. Watch as people tout this as proof that driving stoned out of your mind is perfectly safe...
Marijuana arguments are sometimes a little overboard, I get that you want to smoke weed but please don't deny that it can have possibly unwanted effects, it's no super leaf, it comes with some drawbacks like every recreational drug. You can make as many studies as you like with misleading information and politically skewed wording (like this one) but I think it's pretty clear to anyone who's used it or been around users that it leaves you less than "normal". I agree with legalization but there's so much bullshit from both sides, keep it all factual so that we can have a safe environment with proper regulations that aren't over the top.
Is it possible to measure THC accurately using something similar to a blood sugar tester? I'm totally for legalizing but only once they figure how to handle DUIs in a fair and reasonable manner.
still take a stoned driver over a drunk one any day.
[QUOTE=Mitsudigi;47109105]Is it possible to measure THC accurately using something similar to a blood sugar tester? I'm totally for legalizing but only once they figure how to handle DUIs in a fair and reasonable manner.[/QUOTE] I believe a weed breathalizer is a WIP that can detect inxtoxocation rather than just presence of metabolites [editline]9th February 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;47108835]Having THC in your system doesn't make you more likely to get in an accident. HOWEVER, driving under the influence (while high) definitely makes you more likely to get in an accident. This is nothing new.[/QUOTE] Actually it's new that theyre bringing up inconsistenciesin studies that reveal things we think we know arent true. That's shat is truly interesting
[QUOTE=Mitsudigi;47109105]Is it possible to measure THC accurately using something similar to a blood sugar tester? I'm totally for legalizing but only once they figure how to handle DUIs in a fair and reasonable manner.[/QUOTE] As of right now not really, the legal limit (in Colorado) for having THC in your system is 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. What that means basically is even if you've never smoked before, and you smoke one joint, 24 hours later you could still be above the limit, even though the effects wore off about 2-3 hours after smoking. If you're a heavy user, even if you stop smoking, you can be above the limit a week later, which is unfair to medical patients. It's a very arbitrary and shitty way to measure it. Thing is, if your car doesn't reek and you're not actively stoned, you're likely not going to get tested for it if you were pulled over so it's not that big of a deal. If you're a med patient, you're likely smoking strains that are very high in CBD and low in THC content, meaning you'd be hungry and have effects similar to pain killers, but without the cognitive disassociation you can get when stoned on THC. I'm putting it rather broadly, but that's only because there's a lot more controlled research that needs to be done before any definitive lines can be drawn.
I suppose this is good news medically speaking but i know personally, i would never trust myself to drive after smoking.
[QUOTE=andy85258;47109121]still take a stoned driver over a drunk one any day.[/QUOTE] I'd prefer neither. Driving while high should be treated the same as drunk driving.
I drive under the influence of cannabis *almost* daily, its become normal for me
-snip snop late-
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109367]I drive under the influence of cannabis *almost* daily, its become normal for me[/QUOTE] Congratulations on outing yourself as a complete idiot who didn't actually read the article. Good job, you just admitted to being a serious road hazard having committed DUIs every day. I wish we could still buy titles for other people.
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109367]I drive under the influence of cannabis *almost* daily, its become normal for me[/QUOTE] What a wonderful contribution to all the sober drivers around you. Thank you.
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109367]I drive under the influence of cannabis *almost* daily, its become normal for me[/QUOTE] This is a stupid thing to do. Driving while on weed will slow your reaction speed down a ton, and you need to be able to react quickly when you're driving.
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109367]I drive under the influence of cannabis *almost* daily, its become normal for me[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Nevertheless, marijuana use does impact drivers’ senses, the study warned, and the number of drivers with marijuana in their system is on the rise. According to the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection director, Jeff Michael, [b]“Drivers should never get behind the wheel impaired, and we know that marijuana impairs judgment, reaction times and awareness.”[/b][/QUOTE] Congratulations on being the type of person that makes all drug users look like irresponsible and immature, I guess?
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109367]I drive under the influence of cannabis *almost* daily, its become normal for me[/QUOTE] and weed advocates wonder why convincing people to legalize it is difficult you're making it harder for people not to hate you when you literally do not give a shit about your own, or other peoples safety on the road
Lol just because i can get away with it doesnt mean im trying to tell others its ok for them. But it definitely doesn't slow me down or anything like that
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109656]Lol just because i can get away with it doesnt mean im trying to tell others its ok for them. But it definitely doesn't slow me down or anything like that[/QUOTE] why do you do it do you really need to get high while driving? is your childish "hobby" really that important?
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109656]Lol just because i can get away with it doesnt mean im trying to tell others its ok for them. But it definitely doesn't slow me down or anything like that[/QUOTE] "Haha look at these fools thinking I'm an idiot for driving under the influence of a drug that slows reaction times and impairs judgement, there's no way it affects [i]me[/i] badly because I don't think it does" what is wrong with you
I've never driven while high, I don't have my license, but I have been in the car with high drivers many times and can confirm that driving while high IS DANGEROUS. We never got into an accident but many times I was concerned for our safety and the safety of others on the road [editline]10th February 2015[/editline] after running a red light going like 20km/hr I talked to my friend about it and shes never driven high since [editline]10th February 2015[/editline] she didn't even notice she had run the red till after I told her
[QUOTE=Viva;47109317]I suppose this is good news medically speaking but i know personally, i would never trust myself to drive after smoking.[/QUOTE] Same here, made two rules for myself when I started: 1) Do not smoke/be high during work. 2) Do not smoke/be high before getting behind the wheel.
[QUOTE=cody8295;47109656]Lol just because i can get away with it doesnt mean im trying to tell others its ok for them. But it definitely doesn't slow me down or anything like that[/QUOTE] I hope you get in a minor collision where nobody gets hurt, but you get the wake-up call you need to stop being so fucking stupid.
driving whilst stoned is fucking terrifying
Wow, there's people who can't control themselves enough to drive on pot? One, learn to drive, then two, learn how to control yourself on "such a perception altering drug as cannabis". There's people out there driving on heroin, meth, cocaine, liquor, and you're worried about somebody driving on pot? Really? The average 16y/o driver is more dangerous than any experienced driver who smoked pot before driving. We need more drivers education and drug education in the states.
[QUOTE=jesse1412;47108925]Marijuana arguments are sometimes a little overboard, I get that you want to smoke weed but please don't deny that it can have possibly unwanted effects, it's no super leaf, it comes with some drawbacks like every recreational drug. You can make as many studies as you like with misleading information and politically skewed wording (like this one) but I think it's pretty clear to anyone who's used it or been around users that it leaves you less than "normal". I agree with legalization but there's so much bullshit from both sides, keep it all factual so that we can have a safe environment with proper regulations that aren't over the top.[/QUOTE] i think both sides go too far, but there's plenty of anti-marijuana studies that are skewed and have plenty of people blindly believe them too, and if i had to guess, i'd say it happens far more than with pro-marijuana ones
[QUOTE=Zero-Point;47109746]Same here, made two rules for myself when I started: 1) Do not smoke/be high during work. 2) Do not smoke/be high before getting behind the wheel.[/QUOTE] man i'd hate to be stoned at work, that's something i wouldn't do either.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.