Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana: Harmless or Dangerous? - General

[QUOTE=Furioso;42848329]How? They make the conscious choice to drive despite having impaired reaction time and judgment. They shouldn't drive but they choose to drive anyway, endangering themselves and others. Obviously there are old people who are perfectly capable of safe driving but I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about those stubborn senile folks that keep getting behind the wheel despite mishaps and accidents. They exist.[/QUOTE] Yeah but saying, "You can't drive because you're old," just feels like discrimination. You don't choose to be old, but you do choose to get smoke weed and get behind the wheel.

I don't try to drive when I'm high, but I have. It's safer than drunk driving by far.

[QUOTE=ScoobyV2;42857746]I don't try to drive when I'm high, but I have. It's safer than drunk driving by far.[/QUOTE] What if you are both drunk and high? hehehe

[QUOTE=T-Sonar.0;42857547]Yeah but saying, "You can't drive because you're old," just feels like discrimination. You don't choose to be old, but you do choose to get smoke weed and get behind the wheel.[/QUOTE] Discrimination? Hardly... if they're a danger to the public they shouldn't drive. I'd say that the older you get, the more often you should have to go and get your license renewed. Indeed, I'd say the same for 18-24 year olds too (statistically speaking, this age group is predominantly involved in the most road accidents) Moving on: there are people who smoke marijuana because they legitimately need it. A friend of mine is the worst driver ever when he's sober because he has pretty bad ADHD. When he smokes, he settles down and is able to concentrate. He never drives sober because driving sober for him is more dangerous than driving high. He's driven for years like this and has been in one minor accident, which was determined to be the other person's fault. Reactions to marijuana are so ridiculously diverse. There are some who shouldn't drive while high period, but then there are those who should ONLY drive high... like my friend with ADHD. It's unfair to place marijuana in the same bracket as alcohol. This is a drug that legitimately helps [I]certain[/I] individuals function. We shouldn't take that away from them because of this ridiculous pretense that everyone reacts to drugs in exactly the same way. Everyone's brain chemistry is different. A drug that impairs one person may stimulate or enhance another - especially considering the fact that marijuana exhibits such a wide spectrum of effects. Such a wide spectrum, in fact, that it shares traits of virtually [I]all[/I] other drugs. [IMG]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7e2gg5rXd1rb69zqo1_500.jpg[/IMG] Here's a convenient image to compare it to other classes of drugs. Apart from cannabidiol, which exhibits antipsychotic effects, and THC, which is more hallucinatory, the cannabinoids are virtually smack-dab in the center... this reflects the diversity of reactions to the drug. A person's unique brain chemistry determines which end of the chart their reaction to cannabis leans towards. If you lean toward hallucinogenic and depressing symptoms, you probably shouldn't drive when you're high. But if you lean towards antipsychotic or stimulating effects, well, you might drive just fine when you're high. Potentially better. But once again, this all boils down to individuals' unique responses to the consumption of cannabis. [editline]13th November 2013[/editline] Take note, by the way, that Atomoxetine, which shares that center area of the chart along with the cannabinoids, is a drug frequently prescribed to treat ADHD.

I am not saying it should not be illegal, because I am sure there are people out there that should not be doing it, BUT... I do it all the time.

Never had marijuana, but I think it impairs judgement and reflexes, in the same way as alcohol.

[QUOTE=D3D_M4N;43321117]Never had marijuana, but I think it impairs judgement and reflexes, in the same way as alcohol.[/QUOTE] You're wrong son, I drive baked every day and I love it. On the other hand, I would never get behind the wheel of any vehicle with any amount of alcohol in me

Anything that affects your reaction time and critical reasoning skills is enough to warrant you not driving, pot included (and I love me some pot). [editline]27th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Kylel999;43321681]You're wrong son, I drive baked every day and I love it. On the other hand, I would never get behind the wheel of any vehicle with any amount of alcohol in me[/QUOTE] I'm a big proponent for mariweedjuana and even I think you shouldn't be behind the wheel any more than a [I]functional alcoholic[/I] should be behind the wheel.

[QUOTE=ZombieWaffle;42653181]All drugs affect your reaction time and what you think is happening, the same is for weed, it isn't a good idea to DUI.[/QUOTE] Saying all drugs affect your reaction time is 100% untrue.

Marijuana impairs depth perception and concentration which are important when driving, so I believe it should be avoided. However I have had no incidents while driving high, but it can be a stressful situation for me, even though I've been told that my driving is perfectly fine while high.

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It doesn't, at all. You can be cited for DUI even below the legal limit if you fail a sobriety test (read: lightweights). If you're impaired by alcohol or pot, you shouldn't be driving or operating heavy equipment or anything dangerous whatsoever.

I drive high almost every day and there's literally no difference except I'm a bit worried about other drivers/the fuzz seeing my red eye. I just stick the heated seats on, cruise control and it's the best thing ever.

I'd say it's not a problem but, there is a point where someone can smoke too much (greening out) and can have doubled vision and trouble staying conscious.

Sunglasses

I would never operate a motor vehicle under the influence of anything. I don't care how capable I THINK or FEEL I am at the time because I KNOW I'm never going to be as capable at driving as I am when sober, and as such I'm not going to put my own fucking life, let alone anyone else's, at risk by driving under the influence of any significantly mind altering substance.

Way I see it: If a substance has a negative effect on your reflexes, decision making, coordination, reaction times, and/or any combination of the four, you have no business driving while under its influence.

Having smoked weed I know for a fact that my reactions are slower, coordination is off and often have a feeling of drowsiness much like a come down from alcohol. Its bad enough driving while tired let alone a deep chilled feeling. Just as bad as drinking driving I think. I would never endanger myself or others by putting myself in a drivers seat while under the influence.