shagster01
New member
The University of Iowa did the first real comparison study on driving under the influence of alcohol vs. marijuana. The results aren't surprising, at least to those of us who have never bought into the hyperbole.
While driving intoxicated on alcohol, weed, or prescription meds is NEVER the right decision, some are clearly worse than others.
Let's look at the results. . .
How the test was done:
So alcohol made them weave more and faster than marijuana. But what does this mean?
That means that if you are nearly 3 times over the legal limit of THC you will drive similarly to how you would if you were right at the legal limit of alcohol.
You read that right. A high driver drives the same as an average guy that consumed a beer and a half in an hour.
But the worse one is legal in all 50 states? :think:
Again, no level of intoxication is ok when driving. But I'd rather the guy beside me be high than drunk.
The full report here:
http://now.uiowa.edu/2015/06/ui-studies-impact-marijuana-driving
While driving intoxicated on alcohol, weed, or prescription meds is NEVER the right decision, some are clearly worse than others.
Let's look at the results. . .
How the test was done:
Researchers selected 18 participants—13 men and five women—between the ages of 21 and 37 who reported drinking alcohol and using marijuana no more than three times a week. After spending the night at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics to ensure sobriety, participants arrived at NADS ( National Advanced Driving Simulator) for six “dosing visits.”
First, participants were given 10 minutes to drink a mixed drink with alcohol or plain juice in an alcohol-rimmed glass and topped with alcohol to mimic alcohol taste and odor. The idea was to get the participants blood alcohol level to about .065 percent at the start of the simulated drive.
Next, they were given 10 minutes to inhale a placebo or vaporized cannabis using a vaporizing system designed in Germany called “Volcano Medic ™.”
Once in the simulator—a 1996 Malibu sedan mounted in a 24-feet diameter dome—the drivers were assessed on weaving within the lane, how often the car left the lane, and the speed of the weaving. Drivers with only alcohol in their systems showed impairment in all three areas while those strictly under the influence of vaporized cannabis only demonstrated problems weaving within the lane.
So alcohol made them weave more and faster than marijuana. But what does this mean?
Drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, showed increased weaving that was similar to those with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most states. The legal limit for THC in Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L, the same amount other states have considered.
That means that if you are nearly 3 times over the legal limit of THC you will drive similarly to how you would if you were right at the legal limit of alcohol.
You read that right. A high driver drives the same as an average guy that consumed a beer and a half in an hour.
But the worse one is legal in all 50 states? :think:
Again, no level of intoxication is ok when driving. But I'd rather the guy beside me be high than drunk.
The full report here:
http://now.uiowa.edu/2015/06/ui-studies-impact-marijuana-driving