Many Teens Driving Under Influence of Marijuana

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A 2002 review of seven separate crash culpability studies involving 7,934 drivers reported, “Crash culpability studies [which attempt to correlate the responsibility of a driver for an accident to his or her consumption of a drug and the level of drug compound in his or her system] have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes.” [Chesher et al. Cannabis and alcohol in motor vehicle accidents. In: Grotenhermen and Russo (Eds) Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. New York: Haworth Press. 2002: 313-323.]
But, unlike with alcohol, the accident risk caused by cannabis, particularly among those who are not acutely intoxicated, appears limited because subjects under its influence are generally aware of their impairment and compensate to some extent, such as by slowing down and by focusing their attention when they know a response will be required. [Allison Smiley. Marijuana: On-Road and Driving Simulator Studies]
This response is the opposite of that exhibited by drivers under the influence of alcohol, who tend to drive in a more risky manner proportional to their intoxication.[United Kingdom's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. The Classification of Cannabis Under the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971. 2002: See specifically: Chapter 4, Section 4.3.5: "Cannabis differs from alcohol; ... it seems not to increase risk-taking behavior. This may explain why it appears to play a smaller role than alcohol in road traffic accidents."]

Krymsun of NE 4:26PM January 17, 2013

Studies have shown marijuana users are Safer Drivers than either drunk drivers, or sober ones.
http://blogs.lawyers.com/2012/04/cruising-the-high-way-safer-than-drunk-driving/
One study, entitled "Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption" conducted in November 2011 provides evidence that marijuana is a safer substitute for alcohol when it comes to health and also makes for safer drivers.
Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Users Are Safe Drivers
When you combine all of the main results of these two decades worth of scientific research studies, the following 10 reasons marijuana drivers are safer than drunk drivers comes out like this:
1. Drivers who had been using marijuana were found to drive slower, according to a 1983 study done by U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). This was seen as a factor in their favor, since drivers who drank alcohol usually drove faster and that is part of the reason they had accidents.
2. Marijuana users were able to drive straight and not have any trouble staying in their own lanes when driving on the highway, according to a NHTSA done in 1993 in the Netherlands. The study determined also that the use of marijuana had very little effect on the person’s overall driving ability.
3. Drivers who had smoked marijuana were shown to be less likely to try to pass other cars and to drive at a consistent speed, according to a University of Adelaide study done in Australia. The study showed no danger unless the drivers had also been drinking alcohol.
4. Drivers high on marijuana were also shown to be less likely to drive in a reckless fashion, according to a study done in 2000 in the UK by the UK Transport Research Lab. The study was done using drivers on driving simulators over a period of a month and was actually undertaken to show that pot was a cause for impairment, but instead it showed the opposite and confirmed that these drivers were actually much safer than some of the other drivers on the road.
5. States that allow the legal use of marijuana for medical reasons are noticing less traffic fatalities; for instance, in Colorado and Montana there has been a nine percent drop in traffic fatalities and a five percent drop in beer sales. The conclusion was that using marijuana actually has helped save lives. Medical marijuana is allowed in 16 states in the U.S.
6. Low doses of marijuana in a person’s system was found by tests in Canada in 2002 to have little effect on a person’s ability to drive a car, and that these drivers were in much fewer car crashes than alcohol drinkers.
7. Most marijuana smokers have fewer crashes because they don’t even drive in the first place and just stay home thus concluded more than one of these tests on pot smoking and driving.
8. Marijuana smokers are thought to be more sober drivers. Traffic information from 13 states where medical marijuana is legal showed that these drivers were actually safer and more careful than many other drive

Krymsun of NE 4:23PM January 17, 2013

My teen thinks that because she is an advanced, honors student and takes on a lot of responsibility at home. She can cook and clean as well as I do, those things give her the Green light to smoke pot at the ages of 14-15, now, she is 16. I didn't know until 6 months ago she started so young. I watch my girls and I didn't allow them to spend the night away from home very often and I always waited up til they got home so that I could look at them to make sure there was no drugs or Alcohol. I need help to get her to see how dangerous and destructive her behavior is.

Donald Powell of AL 12:48PM November 29, 2012

i love smokin weed

jermey of WV 9:39AM May 01, 2012

These studies put out by the NIDA, SADD, government or schools are nothing but propaganda. Honestly, look at the article and judge for yourself. They discredit themselves by drawing parallels between drunk driving and driving high. These have completely different physical and physiological effects on the human mind and body. To say that those who drive high and driving the same as those driving drunk is ignorant. Science proves that marijuana smokers are better drivers than the general public. Yes, after smoking cannabis an individual's reaction times are slower and the effect on their driving is that they DRIVE slowely. A major cause of car accidents is SPEEDING. Also, I will address the "fact" in the article "marijuana is found in the cars involved in accidents" and say that is false. That is the same way people label marijuana as a "gate-way" drug. The NIDA/SADD would say "Those who smoke pot, then do other drugs." When in reality that is the other way around. People who do hard drugs often smoke pot. If you can't see the difference, then you will not be able to value my arguement. good day!

Ashley of TX 4:30PM March 22, 2012

whoever believes this propaganda trash is sadly brainwashed and have clearly never inhaled

astein12 of SC 3:09PM March 07, 2012

Teens driving on marijuana,,oh NOOOOOOO!
Driving under the influence of marijuana increases the likelihood of having an accident the same amount as driving 5 mph over the speed limit,,perhaps that is why people that are stoned tend to drive 10 mph under the speed limit.
Every study done on driving under the influence,by anyone except a government study,has shown little to no impairment from using marijuana and yet our government is running these fear mongering editorials trying to keep reefer madness going.

claygooding of TX 9:39AM March 07, 2012