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Have you all heard how certain states have a zero tolerance about driving under the influence of any weed whatsoever? I am not a weed smoker but I think it's unfair how certain states have adopted "zero THC" in system while driving. I understand that states have the right to allow any use or not. But let's say you drive out of Colorado or Washington and haven't had a smoke for a week and get tested during a DUI stop? I know this is very unlikely to happen but I don't think someone should get a DUI if they have not smoked THC or are not high on it. I've heard that heavy smokers may not test zero for about a month. Why are some states so against this when it's being made legal and other states want to follow? They couldn't test someone in the 1970's during a DUI if they hadn't smoked in a week. I just don't see the logic and I think someone higher up should step in about this. Do they expect no one to drive for a month if they smoke weed in a legal state and come back to his or her home state? I think maybe it's time to take it off the federal ban list or at least move it down to schedule 5 drug list if anything.
If we stop and think "why do we have DUI checkpoints?", the real reason is because as a driver becomes impaired/intoxicated, they become a danger on the streets to others.
Testing for drugs and alcohol are one step removed from telling us what we really want to know: is the driver too impaired to drive?
With alcohol, the correlation between BAC and impaired driving is pretty close. However with weed it becomes difficult to test if the drug was consumed hours ago or days ago....and therefore the correlation between testing positive and impaired driving is a crap shoot.
What should be done is a comprehensive test for impaired driving.
This is the real issue, and will even catch people who are impaired for any reason, even lack of sleep.
Two ways to do this:
1. improve current field sobriety/impaired tests.
2. create an ipod app for police to test people (assuming a valid test can be created to determine level of impairment)
If the goal is to reduce impaired driving, it would be successful.
If the goal is to punish those who we feel make immoral choices to drink and take drugs, we might as well stay the course.
I would like the cops to test for ALL forms of impairment. Over 70% of the U.S. population is on prescription medication and a good portion of those medications impair your ability to operate a motor vehicle. There is a need to improve field sobriety testing to check drivers reaction times. There is no need to single out marijuana, we need to test for general ability to drive.
If we stop and think "why do we have DUI checkpoints?", the real reason is because as a driver becomes impaired/intoxicated, they become a danger on the streets to others.
Testing for drugs and alcohol are one step removed from telling us what we really want to know: is the driver too impaired to drive?
With alcohol, the correlation between BAC and impaired driving is pretty close. However with weed it becomes difficult to test if the drug was consumed hours ago or days ago....and therefore the correlation between testing positive and impaired driving is a crap shoot.
What should be done is a comprehensive test for impaired driving.
This is the real issue, and will even catch people who are impaired for any reason, even lack of sleep.
Two ways to do this:
1. improve current field sobriety/impaired tests.
2. create an ipod app for police to test people (assuming a valid test can be created to determine level of impairment)
If the goal is to reduce impaired driving, it would be successful.
If the goal is to punish those who we feel make immoral choices to drink and take drugs, we might as well stay the course.
There is a new study out about the potential use of breath tests for marijuana use. A breath test will detect recent consumption if it was smoked or if a vaporizer was used, however, what the breath test will not show is whether the individual is impaired, and to what extent they are impaired.
I would like the cops to test for ALL forms of impairment. Over 70% of the U.S. population is on prescription medication and a good portion of those medications impair your ability to operate a motor vehicle. There is a need to improve field sobriety testing to check drivers reaction times. There is no need to single out marijuana, we need to test for general ability to drive.
I agree, however it is unfortunate there is no test for the most increasing form of impaired driving; texting while driving. Some studies say it is even more impairing than being drunk, and certainly more prevalent. I yell at my own (young) family members for doing this all the time. They always look chagrined and say "I know, you're right" but too many kids feel infallible and think they'll be okay just for those few seconds to take their eyes off the road.
I agree, however it is unfortunate there is no test for the most increasing form of impaired driving; texting while driving. Some studies say it is even more impairing than being drunk, and certainly more prevalent. I yell at my own (young) family members for doing this all the time. They always look chagrined and say "I know, you're right" but too many kids feel infallible and think they'll be okay just for those few seconds to take their eyes off the road.
Sorry to stray off topic, but recently I was on the freeway (where the flow of traffic is around 75-80mph), and this car in the middle lane was swerving in & out of the other two lanes. I was in the left lane, so sped up quickly just to get past him without being hit. Guess what I saw as I passed him? He had his cell phone on the friggin' STEERING WHEEL, just tapping away at it.
So yes, I too have more fear of "texting drivers" than of those who may have taken a few hits off a pipe. Driving while impaired is never smart, of course... however, just as with alcohol there are different levels of impairment. Some people think otherwise when it comes to marijuana, but as a long-time smoker myself, you can trust me on this! I can take a couple of hits and barely feel a thing, whereas a whole joint to my head would render me unable to drive safely. They have developed a "breathalyzer" for THC which is currently being tested by the LAPD, but I'm not sure how effective it is in determining CURRENT impairments. Hopefully they will perfect this technology, so this part of the legalization debate can be put to rest.
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There is new research on this subject...
They always look chagrined and say "I know, you're right" but too many kids feel infallible and think they'll be okay just for those few seconds to take their eyes off the road.
