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Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#121

Post by dimino »

beat wrote: post #7

Alcohol has two synergetic problems for drivers... it reduces reflexes and increases confidence, simultaneously. Less capable, and more aggressive. No wonder it's so awful for drivers. Marijuana doesn't significantly impair reflexes (as generations of musicians have shown). As for judgment, it tends to make users more cautious, not more aggressive. They're not trying to get around that car in front of them to blow th…

> Marijuana doesn't significantly impair reflexes (as generations of musicians have shown).

What reflexes do you need while playing an instrument?

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#122

Post by corin_ »

dimino wrote: post #120
dubcanada wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also not safe to drive while tired, on any medication at all (including over the counter drugs), while texting, while on the phone, while not looking at the road, with glasses (they could fall off and you'd be blind), with a heart condition, etc etc. I think it's safe to assume you drive very often with things that affect your driving. If pot is proven to not affect your driving to a measurable degree, then the…

> If pot is proven to not affect your driving to a measurable degree What??

The very second sentence of the article reads:

"And after adjusting for age, gender, race and alcohol use, drivers who tested positive for marijuana were no more likely to crash than who had not used any drugs or alcohol prior to driving."

Edit: Just in case in the future anyone comes across my comment out of context of this thread, I'd like to add that without seeing further research I'm not personally convinced by that statement.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#123

Post by rufus-overhead »

rjeli wrote: post #85
rufus-overhead wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. Marijuana can impair reflexes significantly, at least for some individuals. My high school drivers education class (1979) had an electronic device used to measure brake reflex time. The device had simulated accelerator and brake pedals. A red lamp would light to signal the need to brake. I believe the average response time for most teens was around 250ms. I smoked pot nearly everyday during this period of…

I am curious, did smoking every day affect you permanently in any way? I have used cannabis recreationally a few times, and each time I feel slightly mentally impaired (slow thinking) for days afterward. It has completely scared me off from using it further.

I was a daily pot smoker for about three years (ages 15-18). My consumption gradually decreased over the next four years until I stopped completely. I couldn't say if pot was responsible for any cognitive impairment. I do have a poorer memory than most of my peers. I'd be quicker to blame my poor memory on the multiple concussions I've had over the years than on my pot consumption. Marijuana exacerbated my very introverted personality. It's possible my social development was crippled to some degree. I'm not good with the people.

I do know a few individuals who have smoked pot regularly for decades. I don't see cannabis having had any negative effects on them or their families. They are intelligent, successful people in long term stable relationships.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#124

Post by Davidp00 »

dimino wrote: post #120
dubcanada wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also not safe to drive while tired, on any medication at all (including over the counter drugs), while texting, while on the phone, while not looking at the road, with glasses (they could fall off and you'd be blind), with a heart condition, etc etc. I think it's safe to assume you drive very often with things that affect your driving. If pot is proven to not affect your driving to a measurable degree, then the…

> If pot is proven to not affect your driving to a measurable degree What??

From the article

And after adjusting for age, gender, race and alcohol use, drivers who tested positive for marijuana were no more likely to crash than who had not used any drugs or alcohol prior to driving.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#125

Post by dghughes »

Broken_Hippo wrote: post #48
JPKab wrote: post #3

As a full supporter of cannabis legalization, I'm also a big supporter of a technology that can instantly detect whether someone's reflexes are impaired by cannabis. Notice that I'm focusing on whether or not they are impaired, as opposed to the amount in their bloodstream. The point being that people that use cannabis regularly for medical reasons don't seem to be impaired by it at all, while newer or more occasiona…

Right now, there is none. Obviously the measurable amount isn't reliable - but that has been known to general users for years. And so much of it is personal - a person going out on the weekend and smoking a lot (much like drinking most weekends or occasionally) is going to be really impaired. A regular smoker, who keeps a slight buzz and gets used to it would have very little effect most times. People around them don…

There is at least one made and more "pot breathalysers" on the way. See http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ubc-pot-breat...

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#126

Post by iconjack »

From the comments here, it seems like people either didn't read the article, or just don't believe the study, because it pretty much says it is ok to smoke and drive.

  For marijuana, and for a number of other legal and illegal
  drugs including antidepressants, painkillers, stimulants
  and the like, there is no statistically significant change
  in the risk of a crash associated with using that drug
  prior to driving.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#127

Post by dimino »

Davidp00 wrote: post #124
dimino wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If pot is proven to not affect your driving to a measurable degree What??

From the article And after adjusting for age, gender, race and alcohol use, drivers who tested positive for marijuana were no more likely to crash than who had not used any drugs or alcohol prior to driving.

That's not what that means, though. All that says is that testing positive for marijuana doesn't provide a meaningful measurement of impairment. It does not mean pot doesn't impact your driving.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#128

Post by kafkaesq »

JPKab wrote: post #3

As a full supporter of cannabis legalization, I'm also a big supporter of a technology that can instantly detect whether someone's reflexes are impaired by cannabis. Notice that I'm focusing on whether or not they are impaired, as opposed to the amount in their bloodstream. The point being that people that use cannabis regularly for medical reasons don't seem to be impaired by it at all, while newer or more occasiona…

I'm a big supporter of a technology that can instantly detect whether someone's reflexes are impaired by cannabis.

Wow. So you're also a big supporter of the massive, real-time surveillance infrastructure required to make this possible, then.

Don't think for a minute that those devices (which will inevitably be required in all human-driven cars... for as long as humans are allowed to drive cars, that is) won't be reporting those findings to insurance companies and of course, to one's friendly local police department -- and by extension, all police departments nationwide -- once in place.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#129

Post by ssmoot »

dubcanada wrote: post #54
kdamken wrote: post #42

Do not read this and think it's okay to drive high. It's not. Do not drive high. Call an uber or something. I worry that people read studies like this and suddenly justify going out and driving while impaired. Driving is an incredibly dangerous activity on its own. Doing it when you're stoned is a stupid and risky move, and comparing it to how much more dangerous drunk driving is doesn't make it less stupid. If you'v…

It's also not safe to drive while tired, on any medication at all (including over the counter drugs), while texting, while on the phone, while not looking at the road, with glasses (they could fall off and you'd be blind), with a heart condition, etc etc. I think it's safe to assume you drive very often with things that affect your driving. If pot is proven to not affect your driving to a measurable degree, then the…

I feel like you didn't even read the article. Here's the summary of the linked study:

> Differences in study designs frequently account for inconsistencies in results between studies. Participant-selection bias and confounding factors attenuate ostensible cannabis effects, but the association with MVA often retains significance. Evidence suggests recent smoking and/or blood THC concentrations 2-5 ng/mL are associated with substantial driving impairment, particularly in occasional smokers. Future cannabis-and-driving research should emphasize challenging tasks, such as divided attention, and include occasional and chronic daily cannabis smokers.

Suggesting that taking a couple Tylenol is as dangerous as smoking anything (even tobacco for occasional users) before/while driving is ridiculous.

Re: Stoned drivers are safer than drunk ones, new federal data show

#130

Post by kdamken »

jerkstate wrote: post #77
kdamken wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, all those things affect your ability to drive. You shouldn't text and drive, but people do it, etc. I would say being stoned is a lot worse than the other things you listed though: - When you're tired, you can have a cup of coffee and wake up a bit and regain some of that focus. You can't drink a red bull and suddenly be way less high. - If you send a text or two while driving, you're not paying attention to the…

> - When you're tired, you can have a cup of coffee and wake up a bit and regain some of that focus. You can't drink a red bull and suddenly be way less high. Actually, there are terpenes in cannabis that mitigate many of the confusing effects, which can be found in foods such as black peppercorns and pine nuts. Pliny the Elder wrote about this; see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/ So yes, there a…

This is really interesting - thanks for the link. I'd be curious to see how effective that is in real life.
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