Drivers Stoned on Marijuana Test Their Driving Skills

CNN recently took a look at operating a motor vehicle under the influence of pot by subjecting three users in Washington state to a little driving test with the help of a local sheriff’s department.

With multiple states legalizing marijuana, government agencies are scrambling to research the effect of the drug on drivers. CNN recently took a look at operating a motor vehicle under the influence of pot by subjecting three users in Washington state to a little driving test with the help of a local sheriff’s department.

The results are a little surprising, with even casual smokers able to safely operate a car with up to five times the state’s new legal limit in their blood stream. At worst, the smokers were actually more cautious on the course than they were before partaking.

Once the levels increased, however, the story changed dramatically, with two participants showing obvious signs of impairment. Heavy user Addy, meanwhile, continued to perform admirably up until the very last stage of the study. You can check out the full video below for yourself, and remember to keep it off the road, kids.

Article sourceCar Scoop Online

CNN Finds That Pot Smokers Are Actually Pretty Good Drivers

By  Richard Read

Back in November, voters in Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana. And despite federal laws prohibiting pot possession, President Obama has said that arresting users in those two states isn’t a top priority.

Which is fine, but now, law enforcement officials have to set specific limits on what counts as driving under the influence for marijuana smokers.

Though several states have legalized medical marijuana, none had established an acceptable THC blood content level for drivers. Basically, any motorist found driving with THC in her system was guilty of driving under the influence — even if that THC came from legally sanctioned medicinal marijuana.

With the passage of Initiative 502, however, Washington state set an official threshold of 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood. Though the bill’s authors insist that level is based on significant scientific evidence [PDF], some claim that it’s completely arbitrary.

How does 5 nanograms of THC affect drivers? CNN wanted to find out, so the network found an open test course in Washington state and three drivers willing to devote their lungs to an afternoon of “scientific” research.

You can judge CNN’s findings for yourself by watching the clip above. Some outlets like the New York Post think it represents a huge fail for stoners; others like LA Weekly, see the pot-smokers performing pretty well.

Our take? We admit that the test subjects make a few flubs on the course. However, we also note that CNN has to get them well above the legal THC threshold to see any effect on their driving — and by the time they reach that point, all three recognize that they shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Would drinkers who’d surpassed three (or more) times the legal blood alcohol limit have performed so well?

Article source The Car Connection