For much of last year, a small group of volunteers spent their time getting high on marijuana and then getting behind the wheel of a car. These volunteers were part of a test conducted by federal scientists aimed at studying the effects of marijuana on a person’s ability to drive. The studies also tested the effects of smoking marijuana when combined with alcohol consumption.
The data the scientists collected is now being analyzed, and will ultimately help lawmakers decide how stoned is too stoned to get behind the wheel. This is an especially pressing question in states such as Colorado, and Washington, which have legalized recreational marijuana use. Just like alcohol consumption, the researchers aim to find what the “legal limit” should be for smoking pot.
As a San Antonio accident attorney, I can see how this determination will be critical as marijuana use becomes more main stream. Making this determination, however, won’t be easy. “When it comes to cannabis, it’s a lot trickier than when it comes to alcohol,” one of the scientists reports. The scientist added: “I can’t tell you if one joint is going to make you high to the point where you can’t drive.
That’s a really hard question to answer at this point. “The safest thing to do right now: If you are going to drink any amount, don’t drive. And if you are going to consume any amount of cannabis, don’t drive.” While a couple of states have legalized recreational use of marijuana, many other states have legalized it for medicinal purposes, and other states are considering the idea, including Texas.
As marijuana use becomes more common, whether for medicinal purposes or otherwise, law enforcement and legislators will have to rise to meet the challenges of knowing and being able to test “how stoned is too stoned to drive.” This knowledge is critical, just as it is with drinking and driving, to avoiding deadly car accidents. San Antonio has one of the highest rates of DWI related car accidents in the country.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a drunk, stoned, or intoxicated driver, you have rights. You can request a free consultation with an experienced San Antonio car accident attorney, or one of our truck accident lawyers, who can help you learn how to protect your rights following an accident.
