Driving whilst high

[Vaked420]

It seems the police are confused . On the one hand they turn a blind eye for small amounts on the other if tested the day after returning from a holiday in Amsterdam i could be convicted and would loose my job and therefore pension and probably my house and my family would suffer for years.
They have a zero tolerance policy here now. If you fail the swab ( ie youve consumed within 24-48 hours) you will be tested at station and any amount in the system is considered a breach of the law.

As i mentioned here i am against drug driving but the Uk law is crazy and i am sure the officers themselves have no idea how to interpret the results and be discretionary.
I didn't even know the police did swabs until recently.

All this being said as an emergency services worker have seen more people than i can remember arrested on scene after road collisions and have yet to see anyone swabbed.
It would be just my luck though to return from Spain of wherever its perfectly ok to consume and get pulled on the way home.
The Uk law is pathetic on this issue.

Unfortunately in cases like this what usually ends up happening is, the officers will turn a blind eye to small cases, but will use at as probable cause or to win something completely unrelated by basically shining a negative light on you because they can. At least thats what ends up happening in the US. Most cops will throw your weed stuff away if they just find you smoking. But if they find you smoking and they just don't happen to care for how you look and think you're a danger/"bad person" they will take the full extent of the law and basically stereotype you as a bad person and actually have the power to just convict the people they see as bad people as basically just an excuse. Not sure if I'm making sense, slightly stoned

 

[nomadicsoul34]

Unfortunately in cases like this what usually ends up happening is, the officers will turn a blind eye to small cases, but will use at as probable cause or to win something completely unrelated by basically shining a negative light on you because they can. At least thats what ends up happening in the US. Most cops will throw your weed stuff away if they just find you smoking. But if they find you smoking and they just don't happen to care for how you look and think you're a danger/"bad person" they will take the full extent of the law and basically stereotype you as a bad person and actually have the power to just convict the people they see as bad people as basically just an excuse. Not sure if I'm making sense, slightly stoned

totally agree

 

[Bladesman]

Whilst i don't drive stoned in real life, i drive on my ps4, my concentration levels are higher and i make fewer mistakes.

 

[kellya86]

Whilst i don't drive stoned in real life, i drive on my ps4, my concentration levels are higher and i make fewer mistakes.

In the zone......

 

[throwawaytre3s]

I know one of the things that I've heard is that it's really difficult to get a DUI, even if pulled over while smoking. Part of that I hear is because they have no accurate way of testing THC intoxication levels, but also because by the time they got you to the station or whatever, there's a decent chance you'd be sober anyways.

 

[invertedisdead]

I know one of the things that I've heard is that it's really difficult to get a DUI, even if pulled over while smoking. Part of that I hear is because they have no accurate way of testing THC intoxication levels, but also because by the time they got you to the station or whatever, there's a decent chance you'd be sober anyways.

You sober up as soon as you see the lights in your rear view. Adrenaline brings you down so fast.

 

[Vaked420]

I know one of the things that I've heard is that it's really difficult to get a DUI, even if pulled over while smoking. Part of that I hear is because they have no accurate way of testing THC intoxication levels, but also because by the time they got you to the station or whatever, there's a decent chance you'd be sober anyways.

I've thought about this a lot, but for regular vapers/smokers there's a good chance it would take 24 hours to flush your system out. I definitely worry about this. I assume they have no way of roadside drug testing.

Also @Bladesman I've often long thought about the fact that I can be much better at video games stoned, yet am questionable about whether I'm better driving while stoned. What I've realized all around is that I need to pay attention to my driving, not only like it is a video game, but like it is life or death. Because even beyond life or death, it is life or death for me and those surrounding me and is one of the most important things in life to pay attention to. So if I am stoned driving and the radio is on, I'm trying to have a conversation etc. Etc. my mind wanders off the road very easily. And the same can be said for my sober mind. But if I have the radio quiet and tell everyone not to talk to me while I'm driving, my driving is significantly better whether I'm stoned or not, but specifically when I'm stoned. Then my mind doesn't just randomly wander to something else.

 

[nomadicsoul34]

Unfortunately not. They can definatly test you roadside . Police now use swabs that show recent usage. Days and hours . It's a simple positive negative result. You will then be taken to the police station given a blood test, your car impounded and placed on bail until the results come back. UK and Australia for sure many others as well i reckon.

I saw a freedom of info request online showing the CONVICTIONS in my city. It's scary. The limit 2 n per little of blood which is nothing at all.
The more you smoke and the more often you smoke the longer it's detectable in you saliva.

I now only smoke if know I'm not driving for a couple if days .

I know one of the things that I've heard is that it's really difficult to get a DUI, even if pulled over while smoking. Part of that I hear is because they have no accurate way of testing THC intoxication levels, but also because by the time they got you to the station or whatever, there's a decent chance you'd be sober anyways.

 

[looney2nz]

Unfortunately not. They can definatly test you roadside . Police now use swabs that show recent usage. Days and hours . It's a simple positive negative result. You will then be taken to the police station given a blood test, your car impounded and placed on bail until the results come back. UK and Australia for sure many others as well i reckon.

I saw a freedom of info request online showing the CONVICTIONS in my city. It's scary. The limit 2 n per little of blood which is nothing at all.
The more you smoke and the more often you smoke the longer it's detectable in you saliva.

I now only smoke if know I'm not driving for a couple if days .

I for one would be very curious to know a LOT more about this field test you're referring to.
Have any more details, manufacturer?

I think there is a saliva test I read about, but it's simply a binary as far as I recall, it didn't
do anything to determine amount or time. More like the idiotic delta-11 piss test that only shows
if you've used or been exposed to sufficient levels in the last 30 days.

Make no mistake, there are plenty of folks feeding law enforcement trying to build field testing units.

 

[nomadicsoul34]

I for one would be very curious to know a LOT more about this field test you're referring to.
Have any more details, manufacturer?

I think there is a saliva test I read about, but it's simply a binary as far as I recall, it didn't
do anything to determine amount or time. More like the idiotic delta-11 piss test that only shows
if you've used or been exposed to sufficient levels in the last 30 days.

Make no mistake, there are plenty of folks feeding law enforcement trying to build field testing units.

The Uk police use two tests. One - Saliva swab that simply shows if its in your system and can detect for a few days . Two a blood test that determines the levels and is used in evidence for prosecution.


My understanding is that the swab detects 5n p/l + and 2n p/l is required in the blood for prosecution , which can take up to 6 weeks for results. Lots of police videos on youtube explaining the process.
These are tiny tiny levels ...you would not feel anything at these levels.

 

[Bladesman]

So, considering that vaping bud gets more THC into your bloodstream compared to smoking. .If you vaped last night, you will probably get done for drug driving the following day, even if you are sober. Its a flawed system if you live in the UK.

 

[bluenavey00]

So, considering that vaping bud gets more THC into your bloodstream compared to smoking. .If you vaped last night, you will probably get done for drug driving the following day, even if you are sober. Its a flawed system if you live in the UK.

It gets more % of the THC per gram of herb into your body correct.

However because it has a better transfer rate you use less herb. So many people on here are into micro dosing / lowering their usage that I would presume many actually have less THC inside them for the same level of high.

 

[nomadicsoul34]

So, considering that vaping bud gets more THC into your bloodstream compared to smoking. .If you vaped last night, you will probably get done for drug driving the following day, even if you are sober. Its a flawed system if you live in the UK.

Youre right, you have a very good chance of being banned and fined if pulled over in the morning. Its very flawed. And the dusty old farts in our government sat in their leather chairs drinking whiskey , smoking cigars and being blown by rent boys simply dont care. There is no appetite for change.

 

[kellya86]

So many people on here are into micro dosing / lowering their usage that I would presume many actually have less THC inside them for the same level of high.

I'm at about 0.4/5 a day.....
Sometimes less, sometimes more....
I'm sure id be in trouble if I was swabbed...
It's definitely not a fair system and I would fight my point in court...
I may start a petition on the gov.uk website to try to change this law....
Not that there is any point while we have the government we do....

I also might try to lower my tolerance to such a point that I could be high and under the limit...
Purely as a technical exercise....
Is that possible...???

Could a new vaper who had never consumed cannabis before, get shit faced and be under the limit....???

 

[howie105]

Its a crap shoot were I live, some cops don't care about pot and some have a hard on about it. All I try to do is keep it unapparent (no smoking in truck, no pro pot bumper stickers. etc) and treating the cop like anyone else I deal with. If the good ones don't see any triggers you are gold and the bad ones are going to nail you regardless of what you have or haven’t done. Roll of the dice.

 

[Vaked420]

I have heard swab tests are notoriously inaccurate, and in the sense that they give false negatives, not false positives. So I personally wouldn't be too worried, though I don't know the political climate of these areas and I also am not sure if this is the same type of swab test being used.

Almost always if your car doesn't smell like weed and they have no reason to suspect you're stoned, they would have no reason to even think to test you. But again, this all gets put into the cops hands and if they feel like fucking with someone that day.

I'm at abput 0.4/5 a day.....
Sometimes less, sometimes more....
I'm sure id be in trouble if I was swabbed...
It's definitely not a fair system and I would fight my point in court...
I may start a petition on the gov.uk website to try to change this law....
Not that there is any point while we have the government we do....

I also might try to lower my tolerance to such a point that I could be high and under the limit...
Purely as a technical exercise....
Is that possible...???

Could a new vaper who had never consumed cannabis before, get shit faced and be under the limit....???

Ya basically. At least for the 5ng/ml limit for driving in Washington. That's quite a bit for a newbie. Tolerance is not well understood by the law and they assume it is like alcohol. That regular users are just unaware of their intoxicated state.

 

[looney2nz]

Ya basically. At least for the 5ng/ml limit for driving in Washington. That's quite a bit for a newbie. Tolerance is not well understood by the law and they assume it is like alcohol. That regular users are just unaware of their intoxicated state.

but a number of other studies (including a AAA study I think) have shown that the levels chosen were pretty arbitrary and no impairment comparable to alcohol, opiates/benzos, or stimulants.

I wouldn't roll over for any of this stuff. too many variables, BMI, tolerance, CBD level along with the THC.

 

[Vaked420]

but a number of other studies (including a AAA study I think) have shown that the levels chosen were pretty arbitrary and no impairment comparable to alcohol, opiates/benzos, or stimulants.

I wouldn't roll over for any of this stuff. too many variables, BMI, tolerance, CBD level along with the THC.

Ya basically what I was trying to get at. Just that it's possible to also be really really baked and still be under the limit.

The real issue is, even with alcohol, a blood level test has never been a good test of intoxication. It works better for alcohol, but is basically meaningless for the majority of drugs, especially weed.

 

[nomadicsoul34]

It's not worth the risk for me . If I get a positive swab and then I'm put on bail and my car is impounded as is standard procedure here I loose two jobs one of which is my career with a pension

 

[Vaked420]

It's not worth the risk for me . If I get a positive swab and then I'm put on bail and my car was impounded as is standard procedure here. Is loose two jobs one of which is my career with a pension

Yup. The system sure is good at sucking us in lol

 

[hippy tribe]

i rarely in the past ten years ever get caught driving without herb or a vape pen.. i did have weed probation 5 or 6 years back, half year no weed. during this time, at work one day my delivery driver boss insisted i take a shot of alcohol he was passing around, and yea.. i hit a car on the very next round of deliveries.

 

[nomadicsoul34]

It's not about getting sucked in. It's about having career to support my wife and son.
If I have to vape on weekends and not on week nights to avoid a ridiculous punishment that's sadly what I'll have to do.

Yup. The system sure is good at sucking us in lol

 

[Vaked420]

It's not about getting sucked in. It's about having career to support my wife and son.
If I have to vape on weekends and not on week nights to avoid a ridiculous punishment that's sadly what I'll have to do.

Sorry didn't mean it as a negative thing. I'm just a negative nancy sometimes haha. We all make sacrifices for what we value in life. Didn't mean to offend at all. I commend you on the personal strength to value your family as such. I'm really just dealing with personal issues of having to really balance my priorities and accepting the realities of what society truly can entail, didn't mean to project my issues haha

i rarely in the past ten years ever get caught driving without herb or a vape pen.. i did have weed probation 5 or 6 years back, half year no weed. during this time, at work one day my delivery driver boss insisted i take a shot of alcohol he was passing around, and yea.. i hit a car on the very next round of deliveries.

Wow, grade A boss...

 

[nomadicsoul34]

Sorry didn't mean it as a negative thing. I'm just a negative nancy sometimes haha. We all make sacrifices for what we value in life. Didn't mean to offend at all. I commend you on the personal strength to value your family as such. I'm really just dealing with personal issues of having to really balance my priorities and accepting the realities of what society truly can entail, didn't mean to project my issues haha



Wow, grade A boss...

It's cool buddy no offence taken

 

[nomadicsoul34]

Modnote: This post and the following 10 were moved into this thread from the Micro-dosing thread.

Ive always vaped small quantities as i have had a low tolerance since rediscovering cannabis after a 20 tolerance break ;-).
However since reading about how just 0.1g of 25% thc cannabis will cause most people to fail a roadside drug test for up to 24 hours ive surmised that i can either not drive for 24 hours or reduce my consumption to 0.02g and i should be good to go after a good nights sleep. any thoughts anyone?