Next Up for States With Legal Pot: Driving Rules
November 15th, 2012
DENVER (AP) — It’s settled. Pot is legal in Washington and Colorado. But how much is too much to drive?
That’s what officials are trying to figure out, and it isn’t as easy as measuring a driver’s blood alcohol content.
Marijuana stays in the system long after its side effects wear off. And there is no widely available test to determine whether someone is driving while impaired.
Lawmakers in Colorado, which also allows medical marijuana, have failed to set a driving limit for THC — the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. They say they’ll try again next year.
Washington’s marijuana law sets a driving-while-intoxicated limit for THC. But that standard already is being criticized as arbitrary.
If the police can smell pot in someone’s car, make an arrest.
Omfg it’s not just Colorado and Washington that should be talking about it…. It’s medically legal here in Massachusetts!!! I think we should be talking about it as well….. THC is measured in nanograms… THC attaches itself to the fat cells of the user… If one user has 10% body fat and the other has 30%, the THC will stay in the system of the 30% user longer….. Also the thc nanograms build up…. If you are an everyday user your count would be huge!! Under these types of tests it is completely impossible to tell if someone is currently under the influence of marijuana….. I suggest the cheesey poof method…..
theres an easy way to handle this problem don’t smoke weed!
What if someone smokes then gets in the car?
@keith that’s a great way to avoid the problem, you would make a great lawmaker….
There is a test to determine if a person is under the effects of a narcotics. Based off the totality (I.E. smell, observation, and test) charge them with impaired operation.
Just offer them a bag of Cheetos and Taco Bell, if they take it they’re too stoned to drive.
Also, they’ve done studies that show that when people drive stoned they tend to focus more, be more cautious, and drive slower. Stoners don’t cause anywhere near the same amount of fatal accidents as drunk drivers. For the most part if someone gets too stoned they will just choose to take a nap or play video games rather than hop in a car and drive.
Y’all know you can still get a DUI while driving high/stoned/baked, right? You don’t need to be under the influence of alcohol to get one..
Also, an individual’s functioning level is based on their tolerance to the drug of choice. Per example, there are plenty of functional crackheads out there, yet the individuals who can’t handle the effect are generally the ones who end of overdosing, ruining their lives, and making headlines in the news (weak-willed).
So I guess what we need more of is some (strong-willed) crack heads..but I would rather have people be high on pot driving a vehicle than drunk..people grow a pair while drunk and try doing things they otherwise wouldn’t do..like for instance try to see how fast their car will go..has anyone ever heard of someone getting pulled over being high on pot? I’m a former smoker and whether I smoked a little bowl or a blunt I really wasn’t any higher than the next..
So you pot supporters are saying that smoking pot does not effect your ability too drive?