Driving stoned bill clears 1st Colo. hurdle

[fizzgig]

DENVER—Marijuana driving limits won unanimous approval in a Colorado legislative committee Tuesday, after lawmakers from both parties said that if voters want pot treated like alcohol, maximum blood levels for drivers are imperative.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-0 for the blood standard to help authorities determine whether a driver is too stoned to be behind the wheel.

After testimony from law enforcement and a toxicologist, House members agreed that drivers should be considered impaired if their blood contains more than 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Democratic Rep. Rhonda Fields, sponsor of the bill, compared it to early attempts to use blood tests to convict drunk drivers.

"It is time for us to have a shift in our mindset" now that marijuana is legal in Colorado, Fields argued.

more at the denver post

this number is really meaningless to me.

[NYC_SKP]

1. IIRC, my first vehicular collision, my fault, was under the influence of herb.

And I'm talking WAY back in the day, in the 70's.

These days the potency requires a non-op rule if under the influence.

EOM

[fizzgig]

3. some of it is that good, some of it isn't

but i know when to stay put.

[kestrel91316]

2. That's just fine IF it doesn't result in drivers being found legally

impaired DAYS OR WEEKS after they last partook.

[fizzgig]

5. i wonder if i could be found legally impaired driving to work

12 hours after smoking

[kestrel91316]

18. I think in WA there is a zero tolerance level -

any trace whatsoever, even if it's from a month ago, equals impairment. Which is completely insane.

I don't know about you, but after as little as 4-6 hours I am relaxed but back to completely normal alertness.

[TheMadMonk]

17. Which is why a test for active THC in blood, and NOT...

...the inactive metabolite.

OTOH, 5 ng is bugger all, when even non users don't show impairment untill over 10 and even at 20+ regular users remain less impaired than a person at 0.05 on the grog.

And unlike those on alcohol, pot smokers tend to drive slower and more carefully when they're buzzed.

[In_The_Wind]

4. Wait. How much is too stoned? Everyone will react differently.

[fizzgig]

7. and an individual will react differently under different circumstances

i know when i can't drive, but i don't know how to judge it otherwise.

[In_The_Wind]

10. Exactly my point. It cannot be since the drug will show up for a month.

Is it okay to drive 8 hours later or 24 hours, the next week after smoking pot? Really.

[Journeyman]

8. It's a tough one. Everyone reacts to alcohol differently . . .

When I was active, there were days I could drink a quart and be marginally impaired, while other times a single shot would send me spinning.

I guess some sort of standard for marijuana intoxication is necessary, however, so they at least have a benchmark.

What I wonder is, how is it determined that a driver has to take a blood test? There are some people who smoke all day and show little visible effects, while others have a toke or three and can't stop giggling. So obviously, if someone's in an accident they'll need to be run through a test. But will there be criteria that must be met before the police are allowed to pull random drivers off the street to take a blood test? And what will those criteria be?

[In_The_Wind]

11. Thank you. It will be difficult.

[fizzgig]

12. i've been pondering that question

i would assume it would be like dui, getting pulled over for a traffic violation or having a tail light out or something and then a roadside if they have reason to suspect. but i wonder what they'll use to determine whether you need a roadside outside the obvious.

[Journeyman]

14. Yeah, there are some users, both chronic and casual, who show no outward effects. . .

and even if the officer smells it on their person, who's to say it wasn't from the day before and the officer just has an exceptional nose? I can't help but see these efforts leading to more litigation than incarceration.

[fizzgig]

15. and it's legal to carry now

so there's nothing to say they're not smelling that.

[Ed Suspicious]

6. If you're toking, I think you should be off the road. I fully support your right to smoke, but I am

absolutely certain of most people's inability to judge their own level of impairment.

[fizzgig]

9. how long should i wait before driving?

no snark, honest question. my blood level is likely to be over the legal limit four or five hours after smoking but i am not in any way impaired. if you are still well over the legal blood alcohol limit four or five hours after you stop drinking, you need to be in the hospital. marijuana is not the same way.

[Ed Suspicious]

13. Yeah, I don't really know. When I posted, I had the same thought.

[CanSocDem]

19. One day...

...a couple of years ago, I happened on an RCMP checkpoint, shortly after 'burning one'. The smell in my van alerted the cop at my window and I was asked to pull over to the side of the road.

The cop in charge came right over and asked if I had been smoking "marijuana". It was clearly too late to lie so I 'fessed up to "sharing one" with some friends before I left town. I was escorted to the back seat of a patrol car while 2 or 3 cops piled into my van. After a few minutes they came over threatening to take me back to Winnipeg (100 kms) where they would tear apart my vehicle unless I told them where the pot was hidden.

It was in a small pocket of my travelling bag, but I thought if they haven't found it yet, they must be more clueless than usual. So they kept looking for another 10-15 minutes coming back to the car I was in, repeating the threat and I kept saying, "To the best of my knowledge, there is no pot in the van."

One cop got in the back seat with me, looked me straight in the eye and asked if I thought 'smoking marijuana helped my driving...'. I met his gaze to see if he was serious and when I couldn't tell for sure, I lowered my eyes and in my most chastened voice, I replied "NO".

To my everlasting amazement, they found nothing and eventually let me continue on my way. To their credit, they had scared me enough that I didn't even look for my stash until I was almost 100 miles down the road. I thought they might have scooped my little film container and the roach in the ashtray but when I got up the nerve to pull over and look, I found both.

In celebration, I burned another and vowed to always make sure I had a window open and good ventilation while smoking enroute.


.

[DreamGypsy]

16. You know, man, when you are, one toke over the line, man,...

...you know. Just need that tokometer.

(beware, crummy visuals...album covers...but a good song after three reefers)