Driving whilst high

flotntoke

thoroughly vaped
... Also, when it comes down to it...What percent of people do you believe would truly be safer/less impaired on the road, with a Cannabis buzz? I think it would be an extremely small percent, and that the vast majority would be more hindered than helped.

I don't know where you drive, but aggressive drivers would be a pretty high percentage here in most parts of daylight hours - probably around 10%. Of them, I think those who are used to the effects of vaping and dosed properly (IOW - not stoned), would be better drivers. Half? Who knows? But, I think we'd all be better off with even only half of these assholes out there.

Don't disagree that the vast majority would be hindered more than helped. Those 75 year olds or texters are most certainly going to be worse off with a couple vapor hits. But, we're talking about habitual users who vape at least 5 - 10 times a week, right?

Like I said, I'm not that asshole on the roads. But, I sometimes get the anxiety I think they feel. It does distract from my driving and often leads to horrible things coming out of my mouth to the many assholes I encounter regularly - not out the window - in my closed car for only me to hear. A couple hits takes this away nearly entirely. So, the real benefits are to my attitude and stress, and my poor steering wheel that isn't being held in a death grip and my clutch that I'm much easier on.

This is where it all comes together. While this person may be less of a danger due to using Cannabis, that doesn't automatically mean he should be driving with a buzz. The two don't just line up in an "if A, then B" manner. I personally believe that there IS a "no evil" option, of the person just not driving. If he can't drive without some form of impairment, he shouldn't drive at all.

Maybe someday we will live in the perfect world you keep referring to, but I'm not sure I'd even really like that. Perfect for one (or a group), probably isn't perfect for all. But, that doesn't really matter because here in the real world there are many of us who are probably safer, less stressed, more attentive to the road and surroundings, and all the rest after that couple hits. Many anecdotal reports here support this, I KNOW it works for me, and most scientific studies prove it.

I get that you're not happy about it, and don't approve. Hopefully for you we're not close to each other! But with the 2,000 - 2,500 miles I drive a month - maybe 200 - 300 of those with a light buzz on - my concerns are often more for those other many miles where a buzz isn't practical because of my itinerary or in traffic situations where I don't feel comfortable with it.
 

crawdad

floatin
i like this discussion, it shows that those of us who might walk the line of being impaired vs not impaired clearly consider a lot of factors with our inducement, healthy imho. KNOW YOUR LIMITS.

with respect to level numbers and laws i'll refer to a quote i heard somewhere: rules and procedures may be dumb, but they spare you from thinking. in other words, be responsible...own your shit. if there is ever a law concerning "you stoned bro?" the test for legality ought to involve motor skill, reaction time and vision for reference...anything else could paint an inaccurate picture for both ends of the spectrum.

i think we know what we *should* do yet sometimes we consider what we *could* do if our reasoning can align itself with our preference, find a balance that is rational. :peace:
 

flotntoke

thoroughly vaped
Should have included above... but maybe better in a separate post.

This discussion has led me to think about all of this quite a bit more, especially when I'm driving and take a few hits. If nothing else, it seems to have made my buzzed driving more pleasurable in the sense that I enjoy it even more and get more out of it in relation to less stress and the rest.

It has also made me think about it more before taking a couple hits. I can't really say it has made me not do it in situations where I usually would, but has led me to take 1 hit instead of two, or two instead of 3 depending on vape, strain and situation. Assume it may be doing the same for some of the others reading here.

So, not ALL just a pointless discussion as some have said. Awareness and adjustment are keys to life (as are many other things), and anything that promotes them are worthwhile IMO.
 

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
A better driver in comparison to what? You can't just compare to how you'd drive without it, because the lesser of two evils argument isn't a sound one, when "no evil" is an option.

What if you're an extremely anxious / "on edge" person, and believe that you drive better after drinking a bit. A lot of people believe they drive better with a bit of alcohol in their system. Should that just be left up to them, to decide? (Yes, I'm aware you can have a certain amount of alcohol in your system, but it's a set limit, not up to each individual.) *I am not saying alcohol and cannabis are equally impairing, nor am I saying that driving while experiencing the effects of either, is safe. The point of this paragraph is to ask if you think people should be left up to deciding for themselves when they are intoxicated?

Also, laws shouldn't be made in a way that certain citizens don't have to follow them. You shouldn't allow medical patients to drive while "buzzed", but not allow everyone else to do the same. The benefits that being stoned has to one person, doesn't make it ok for them to disregard the safety of others. You'd have to argue that being stoned doesn't put others in danger, and therefore, everyone should be allowed to do so.


This isn't a sound argument, either. Just because one bad thing is legal, doesn't mean all bad things should be legal. They are separate issues, that should be handled separately. They don't have a direct effect on each other, and shouldn't be roped into the debate as an argument for/against each other's prohibition.

No doubt, they should all be handled, but just because someone doesn't advocate for the banning of driving on one substance, doesn't mean they can't advocate for the banning of driving on another.


I know those aren't indicative of impairment. I'm just curious what most people would pick. Everyone keeps mentioning the whole "you could've smoked x hours/days prior and get busted", so I'm curious what time limit they would be ok with you being able to get busted for, if they had to choose, or would they want driving while high to be legal.

Do you have a better way to ask the question? Not being sarcastic.

generally after one hour the person who vaporized a cannabis will feel lethargic from teh come down usually depending on how or what they provided to their metabolism to handle the come down... generally speaking the high will last one hour and then a gradual come down. honestly looking at it this way.......the person will be more responsive/reactive during the heightened "high" time period and be less responsive/letheragic during the subsequent come down period ( LOW) from the high...

Stoned, "buzzed" etc. I mean driving while feeling the effects of the Cannabis use, vs driving with detectable levels in your system but not feeling anything.

I didn't mean being more than "buzzed" when I said stoned. I'll edit that term to "buzzed".

one hour, that is about the average dosage period from cannabis use... of course there are edibles that last all day so generalities exist but lack merit when describing such a scope of differing effects from the same plant
 

flotntoke

thoroughly vaped
generally after one hour the person who vaporized a cannabis will feel lethargic from teh come down usually depending on how or what they provided to their metabolism to handle the come down... generally speaking the high will last one hour and then a gradual come down. honestly looking at it this way.......the person will be more responsive/reactive during the heightened "high" time period and be less responsive/letheragic during the subsequent come down period ( LOW) from the high...
one hour, that is about the average dosage period from cannabis use... of course there are edibles that last all day so generalities exist but lack merit when describing such a scope of differing effects from the same plant

Really trying to stay out of here, but this isn't necessarily true. One can certainly feel lethargic an hour later, but with better vaping skills you can keep the buzz going for hours depending on strain and knowledge of yourself, your vape and your material. The amounts I've been talking about here usually lead to no lethargic feeling without top-offs. Just stay away from sugars and carbs! There are also ways to combat the lethargy like coffee. Coke, or whatever caffeine rich soda, not so good - again because of the sugars.
 

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
Really trying to stay out of here, but this isn't necessarily true. One can certainly feel lethargic an hour later, but with better vaping skills you can keep the buzz going for hours depending on strain and knowledge of yourself, your vape and your material. The amounts I've been talking about here usually lead to no lethargic feeling without top-offs. Just stay away from sugars and carbs! There are also ways to combat the lethargy like coffee. Coke, or whatever caffeine rich soda, not so good - again because of the sugars.
exactly... it is not one for all and how people treat themselves matters... some one with zero fat content foods will not have buffering for metabolism and will crash hard from come down etc....

by my example above... say one hour high and another half hour or one hour to get over the lethargy.. so that is two hours that the effects are there at least...

people comparing alcohol to cannabis too there is not a comparison really as one is a poison and the other a supplementation of cannabinoids.... the problem- you must learn of this cannabinoid before knowing that and who does that really?
 

Krazy

Well-Known Member
A better driver in comparison to what? You can't just compare to how you'd drive without it, because the lesser of two evils argument isn't a sound one, when "no evil" is an option. etc..

But I'm not making a lesser of 2 evils argument. To me, you are using that as a straw man.

Impaired driving = bad. But cannabis use does NOT = impaired driving. Irresponsible cannabis use is one of very many things that have the potential to impair a driver.


We seem to be saying the same things over and over gain in this thread.
Yep. We have done the dance at least 5 times by this point, lol.
 
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just_the_flu

they say im crazy but i have a good time
A driver with two to five nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood could face a summary conviction with a maximum fine of $1,000. But a driver with more than five nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood—or a combination of both alcohol and THC in their system—could face indictment, as both are considered hybrid offences.



...wtf, idk how much weed consumed versus nanograms in your blood compair, but i can tell you i will need to take weeks off of comsumption before being legally 'allowed' to drive....


...to think giving people on welfare drug test was against violation of human rights... giving random people blood test on the road side isnt? i see the logic! cuz i want some dumb ass cop pricking me with a needle on the side of a road...


...like this whole ordeal, everything fucked up....
 

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
When I drive I always make sure I'm clean from both alcohol and cannabinoids, never drove under the effect. I rode my bicycle twice when high and it isn't a good experience, so it's a no for me.

I just saw a post from you in another thread saying you vape all day, often a gram or more? There's no way you'd pass the 5 nanograms per mL limit.
 

ilsasta

Well-Known Member
I just saw a post from you in another thread saying you vape all day, often a gram or more? There's no way you'd pass the 5 nanograms per mL limit.
More worried about personal and others safety then tests to be honest. By the way, where I live I don't need driving often, but when I do it's usually planned in advance so I make sure I don't assume cannabis at least from the day before (where possible :brow:)
Btw, in the other post I said that if ivape all day, I usually consume more than .6-.8g of flower.
Holy hell. Riding my road bike and getting into that rhythm while stoned is amazing!
It definitely is, but if I abuse and start getting paranoid, the fun ends. :(
:peace:
 
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JCat

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
More worried about personal and others safety then tests to be honest. By the way, where I live I don't need driving often, but when I do it's usually planned in advance so I make sure I don't assume cannabis at least from the day before (where possible :brow:)
Btw, in the other post I said that if ivape all day, I usually consume more than .6-.8g of flower.

It definitely is, but if I abuse and start getting paranoid, the fun ends. :(
:peace:
Even 1 day won't help if you are generally a daily user ... I don't think I'd pass the test for at least a week or two!!! (since I'm a medical user and consume 1.5-2.5g/day pretty much every day ... might not pass the test for over a month ...)

I also make sure to separate my cannabis consumption from my driving by leaving adequate time before getting behind the wheel, moderating how much I consume if I need to drive later in the day, and monitoring the way I feel; that being said, there is absolutely nothing I can do where I will legally ever pass these limits and continue to use cannabis to medicate my condition.

I guess it's back to lithium? And the results of that will eventually be the loss of my job and income as I lose my ability to function effectively, or alternately nothing, and I'm likely going to seriously be unable to manage my life? Which will also eventually lead to me being a burden on my family and society? Or I shouldn't be allowed to drive even though I need a vehicle to get around and even though I am not impaired when behind the wheel? (there is no public transportation here beyond a couple cabs ... literally a couple ...) I'm not the only one in this situation, there are many, many Canadians in this exact situation, or one very similar. I guess our vets suffering from PTSD should also have their licenses revoked or should be forced to cease using cannabis to manage their PTSD (I'm sure that will make them safer drivers!)

I've seen numerous lawyers make public statements now to the effect that they are getting their cases ready because as soon as this becomes law, there will be tons of people requiring legal council, all of which will make up grounds for a constitutional challenge ... "I'm putting the government on notice" was the last statement I saw (or something to that effect). You can't significantly compromise someone's right to security and freedom and trample all over their rights under the premise that they are impaired when there is absolutely no scientific evidence to backup the law that was created that says they are impaired. There is no scientifically established correlation between THC percentage in the bloodstream and intoxication.

No one here is saying that one should be allowed to drive impaired, what we are saying is that we shouldn't start charging tens of thousands of people with impaired driving charges (costing them $10-$50k dollars as a result of this, and quite potentially ruining their careers and lives) when they are not in fact impaired or doing anything that endangers anyone (and in many cases what they are doing is in fact improving public safety ... ie. in the case of chronic pain sufferers that are managing their pain ... I guess instead they could use opiates for which there is no specific blood percentage limit! ... that one they use a "common-sense" approach to determining impairment ...!)
 

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
I also make sure to separate my cannabis consumption from my driving by leaving adequate time before getting behind the wheel, moderating how much I consume if I need to drive later in the day, and monitoring the way I feel; that being said, there is absolutely nothing I can do where I will legally ever pass these limits and continue to use cannabis to medicate my condition.

Exactly. Short of maybe a quick blood transfusion... :lol:
 

Ramahs

Fucking Combustion (mostly) Since February 2017
It definitely is, but if I abuse and start getting paranoid, the fun ends. :(
:peace:

I only get paranoid when I have something illegal on me. But if I can leave it at home for a good hour or so of exercise, then no paranoia for me, because I know the police can't do shit about my red eyes, as long as I don't have any drugs on me at the time.
 
Ramahs,
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nosmoking

Just so Dab HAppy!
Couldn't agree more. There was a thread where this was debated in detail:

http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/driving-whilst-high.19329/

There are two camps....

1.) Those who argue that they have been at it for a long time so they are able to drive high...Those who feel the increased anxiety of being high causes them to concentrate more which in turn makes them more "careful" and "safer" ..... Those who site studies and demonstrations showing that being high doesn't increase the likelihood of a driving mistake.

2.) Those who believe being high can adversely affect their driving and don't care how big or small the impairment so they avoid driving high.
I think it is very important to note which one of those camps you cited has studies showing results and not just a belief driven by an old stigma.

I bet you all drive with coffee or over the counter pills in your system. Some even with prescription pills.

I also bet none of the people you witnessed making mistakes behind the wheel have ever driven perfect when not stoned so what were the reasons for those errors? Lets stop acting like any of us are that great of drivers that we are never a danger to anyone else or ourselves when sober. Being high could have been just as irrelevent as the car being blue. It could also be just as relevent as being tired or angry or overcaffinated. Mostly the concern is drawn from a stigma.
 

Ramahs

Fucking Combustion (mostly) Since February 2017
As much as I'm confident that many of us who've used cannabis for many years can be just fine behind the wheel.

And, in situations like these, the law has to be made for the dumbest and least experienced among us, to prevent bad things from happening.

There will always be some who can't properly handle their drugs, and the rest of us have to lower our freedoms because of them. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is if we want to live in a society
 

ClearBlueLou

unbearably light in the being....
A valid and accurate test would be worthwhile, for sure. I too am careful not to drive when I can’t, because being stoned can absolutely affect the ability to safely operate heavy machinery, cars most definitely included.

Field assessment is pretty easy with alcohol because even if everyone hasn’t indulged, everyone has been around someone who indulges. Field assessment of cannabis use - absent a useful and dependable test - requires familiarity with an individual both when straight and when stoned...clearly beyond the powers of the state, fortunately.

To clarify (I hope) something I said before, I learned to drive when I was 14, and by the time I got my license @ 17 I thought I was good at it. I was NOT good at it, and I wasn’t good for about another five years; similarly, by the time I’d been using cannabis for a year, I though the only was pretty good at it, too, but I wasn’t. Took me a while to realize that getting stoned is a state, not an event, and that point with the event was nothing like learning to manage the state.
 

cascades

Active Member
I live in Washington state. Here cannabis use is legal, but there is a blood test criteria for who can legally drive.

I have some medical conditions that can affect my driving, in general, I am VERY careful and officers have been understanding when I get pulled over(which is much less frequent now than before I switched medications).

Anyhow, what I would ideally like: an at home test that would tell me if I'm at risk for not meeting Washington's blood test Cannabis DUI criteria. Most home tests I've seen are either urine/saliva test but I need a way to translate those results into a blood test.

I understand there are all kinds of issues with blood testing. I just want to see what I have to do to avoid getting on the road when I am at risk. I really cannot afford a DUI arrest.

Right, now I have been avoiding driving within 12 hours of using cannabis and have been taking periodic tolerance breaks to lower the dose I need for the desired effects. I'd like to know just where I am at though.
Thanks for your help.
 
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