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Even if you can handle your THC dosage and multitask, being under the influence of any controlled substance is a risk. You might think driving high or while getting high isn\u2019t nearly as risky as driving buzzed or drunk, though it\u2019s still dangerous\u2014but how dangerous?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [Click any of the section titles below to jump there]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety<\/a> (IIHS) and the American Journal of Public Health<\/a> (AJPH) recently performed two studies that reached two shockingly opposite conclusions about marijuana\u2019s impact, or lack thereof, on collision rates and fatalities in legal states.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The AJPH\u2019s study analyzed the amount of post-legalization fatal car crashes in Washington and Colorado to see if there was an increase. They concluded there was no rise in fatalities<\/strong> since legalization passed compared to neighboring states.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe found no significant association between recreational marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado and subsequent changes in motor vehicle crash fatality rates in the first 3 years after recreational marijuana legalization,\u201d said the authors of the study.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the positive news, the investigation doesn’t mention anything about non-deadly injuries sustained. This lack of further, broader study leaves other key factors murky and provides little context into the real outcomes of driving high.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n IIHS\u2019s study, on the other hand, is more illuminating. They took insurance claims from Colorado, Washington and Oregon made between 2012 and 2016 and compared them with those of states where cannabis remains illegal. Their findings discovered a 3% increase in collisions<\/b> in <\/strong>states where marijuana is legal <\/b>compared to the states with no legal cannabis laws.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe combined-state analysis shows that the first three states to legalize recreational marijuana have experienced more crashes,\u201d said Matt Moore, Senior Vice President of the IIHS\u2019s Highway Loss Data Institute.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n While 3% is a small jump, researchers insist it\u2019s nonetheless significant. The rise in post-legalization collisions proves that consuming cannabis while driving poses a threat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a less recent but still telling investigation<\/a> done by Drs. Andrew Sewell, James Poling, and Mehmet Sofuoglu shows driver impairment after smoking just one-third of a joint<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt appears that cannabis use may impair some driving skills (automatic functions such as tracking) at smoked doses as low as 6.25 mg (a third of a joint), but different skills (complex functions that require conscious control) are not impaired until higher doses<\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The examination also found that high drivers are less capable of staying in their lane, a problem that only increased with higher levels of THC<\/a> in the drivers’ system. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOther studies have found poorer monitoring of the speedometer under the influence of marijuana, increased decision time when passing, increased time needed to brake when a light suddenly changes,and increased time to respond to a changing light or sudden sound…Drivers also crashed more frequently into a sudden obstacle on a high dose of marijuana, although this did not happen at a low dose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their study also found that drivers under the influence of cannabis are less likely to drive recklessly<\/strong>, have an increased following distance, and a lower than average speed.<\/strong> That’s not to say it\u2019s totally safe, though the same isn’t true if you’re driving drunk, which typically involves less thinking, faster speeds, and the abandonment of caution.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n So the dangers of driving high aren’t definitive, but dependent on several factors like dosage, tolerance, environment, smoking method and THC absorption. Still, there’s concrete evidence to prove that driving under the influence of cannabis can impair your skills.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n While these studies have reached different conclusions about said dangers, they <\/span>and more driving high research will help to refine current laws and determine new ones in states across the country, especially here in California<\/a> with approaching recreational legalization, to craft their own fair laws to protect drivers and others sharing the road.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the DMV, the penalties for driving under the influence of cannabis are just as severe as driving under the influence of alcohol: jail time, license suspension, fines, reinstatement fees, mandatory driver’s training programs, alcohol and drug treatment programs, and DUI attorney fees.\u00a0<\/span>Work with DUI defence lawyers<\/a> experienced in impaired driving cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat you'll learn in this post:<\/h2>\n
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\n\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDiffering Conclusions on Driving High<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAn Obvious & Surprising Study<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Will These & Future Studies Affect Cannabis Laws?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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