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[NoblesseOblige]

I can't think of any off the top of my head, but a lot of medicine says "Don't drive or operate heavy machinery while using"

Yeah I recall seeing them on some prescription bottles.

Yes, yes, and yes.

You can be charged with a DUI for that.

That sucks for someone who requires frequent enough dosing that they can't ever drive. For example my father has severe shoulder pain to the point he has to take a Vicodin every couple hours. I can't say I'm privy to the severity of its effects, but I presume it has some on his ability to drive. Should he never be allowed to drive?

How would you even be able to tell someone was driving high enough to warrant a traffic stop

Don't ask me, I'm not a stoner. I imagine if a cop pulls someone over and smells weed then they have enough cause to test them.

 

[Sanjuro]

How would you even be able to tell someone was driving high enough to warrant a traffic stop

I'd imagine in the same manner or less than drinking.

 

[Netherscourge]

Well, no shit? Really?

Pot makes you dopey, slower reaction times, etc...

 

[zeemumu]

I think science is running out of things to test.

 

[karasu]

I've been in a car when we almost crashed because the driver was high. I've also had to take over driving for a buddy for the same reason. He didn't feel like he could make it safe. It's obvious that some accidents occur with the assistance of weed.

I've been in car accidents where the driver wasn't high. Statements like this are meaningless. Car accidents are a common occurrence,

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Yeah I recall seeing them on some prescription bottles.



That sucks for someone who requires frequent enough dosing that they can't ever drive. For example my father has severe shoulder pain to the point he has to take a Vicodin every couple hours. I can't say I'm privy to the severity of its effects, but I presume it has some on his ability to drive. Should he never be allowed to drive?



Don't ask me, I'm not a stoner. I imagine if a cop pulls someone over and smells weed then they have enough cause to test them.

It's tricky because you can't actually do a breathalyzer with rx drugs or even otc ones like benadryl.

 

[Fusion Pizza]

Yeah I recall seeing them on some prescription bottles.



That sucks for someone who requires frequent enough dosing that they can't ever drive. For example my father has severe shoulder pain to the point he has to take a Vicodin every couple hours. I can't say I'm privy to the severity of its effects, but I presume it has some on his ability to drive. Should he never be allowed to drive?



Don't ask me, I'm not a stoner. I imagine if a cop pulls someone over and smells weed then they have enough cause to test them.

If a person is in such severe chronic pain that they need to be medicated with frequent doses, yes, they should not be allowed to drive. It's an unfortunate burden on that person, but you can't endanger others like that.

 

[NerdEyeBlind]

I think driving under the influence of anything (cold medicine, medication, lack of sleep, drugs, alcohol) will effect your ability to control a motor vehicle

 

[SenorArdilla]

Though obvious, it does bring up some considerations. When weed is ultimately legalized for medicinal reasons do we treat it like driving under the influence of alcohol? Do we do the same for other medical prescriptions that impairs a driver's ability? Are there even other prescriptions that have similar effects?

Might vary from state to state.

California Vehicle Code Section 312 defines a “drug” as, “any substance or combination of substances, other than alcohol, which could so affect the nervous system, brain, or muscles of a person as to impair, to an appreciable degree, his ability to drive a vehicle in the manner that an ordinarily prudent and cautious man, in full possession of his faculties, using reasonable care, would drive a similar vehicle under like conditions.”

So at least in California, it's illegal to drive under the influence of any drugs (whether it's illicit, prescription, or over-the-counter).

 

[Summer Haze]

Well, yeah...

I love weed as much as the next guy, but I'd never drive unless I was stone-cold sober. I imagine it would be so intense to drive stoned that it would be scary, not to mention dangerous.

Well, no shit? Really?

Pot makes you dopey, slower reaction times, etc...

What's with the generalizing in every weed thread? I smoke weed every day and I'm never dopey or slow. It depends entirely on the strain, amount smoked, and the individual.

 

[drtomoe123]

If you've smoked weed regularly before, you know there's a difference between impairment when you have a low THC tolerance and when you have a high tolerance. I have no doubt that someone who's smoking some dank shit for the first time in their life might have problems driving because, well, they're probably tripping balls. If a heavy smoker takes a hit before driving, it's a much different, subdued experience.

 

[Foffy]

Why drive in any state that changes relative levels of awareness? Driving works best in that "normal" state of awareness, and anything that changes that is of course deviating from that norm.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

It's tricky because you can't actually do a breathalyzer with rx drugs or even otc ones like benadryl.

I assume they'd have to pull them into the station to perform the test. But that would be detaining people under suspicion only. Which I don't know the legaity of.

If a person is in such severe chronic pain that they need to be medicated with frequent doses, yes, they should not be allowed to drive. It's an unfortunate burden on that person, but you can't endanger others like that.

I'd tend to agree with this. It's just a question I haven't seen many ask in regards to DUI with prescription drugs. It's also one more reason automated cars are going to be so great. Hell, you could maybe even lay back and drink while your car drives you places.

 

[Hale-XF11]

I'd rather drive around people who are somewhat high as opposed to the thousands of people I encounter every day who are driving aggressively while angry. If weed helps those people calm the fuck down, then I'm all for it.

 

[Summer Haze]

If you've smoked weed regularly before, you know there's a difference between impairment when you have a low THC tolerance and when you have a high tolerance. I have no doubt that someone who's smoking some dank shit for the first time in their life might have problems driving because, well, they're probably tripping balls. If a heavy smoker takes a hit before driving, it's a much different, subdued experience.

I have found that having a bowl or two to 'take the edge off' helps me during my day to day activities, but I don't think it wise to do anything that could harm other people regardless how confident you are in your abilities.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I'd rather drive around people who are somewhat high as opposed to the thousands of people I encounter every day who are driving aggressively while angry. If weed helps those people calm the fuck down, then I'm all for it.

I'd rather have angry drivers than angry AND stoned drivers. It's not like smoking is going to immediately turn someone from rage to mellow.

 

[Hale-XF11]

I'd rather have angry drivers than angry AND stoned drivers. It's not like smoking is going to immediately turn someone from rage to mellow.

I've literally never heard of anyone being angry while using marijuana. I think I'd rather take my chances with the less angry folk.

 

[Fenderputty]

I've heard the much better than driving drunk thing a billion times, but I've never seen it suggested that it's better than sobriety.

I'd imagine in the same manner or less than drinking.

Probably not in all aspects. I doubt a stoned driver swerves much as an example, especially compared to the drunk driver. They'll probably be driving 45 in a 60 though.

 

[Sanjuro]

I'd rather drive around people who are somewhat high as opposed to the thousands of people I encounter every day who are driving aggressively while angry. If weed helps those people calm the fuck down, then I'm all for it.

Based on the people I've seen smoke, they are not even close to being universally calm.

 

[Fusion Pizza]

I assume they'd have to pull them into the station to perform the test. But that would be detaining people under suspicion only. Which I don't know the legaity of.



I'd tend to agree with this. It's just a question I haven't seen many ask in regards to DUI with prescription drugs. It's also one more reason automated cars are going to be so great. Hell, you could maybe even lay back and drink while your car drives you places.

Like the person above stated, it's different in different states, but at least in California, drugs are drugs, regardless of rx / legality.

I'm fairly certain that even when self driving cars are prevalent, you'll still need to be awake/ not actively intoxicating yourself (open container law?) I don't know exactly, but I have a hard time seeing the government singing off on people just roving around getting drunk in their auto-cars.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I've literally never heard of anyone being angry while using marijuana. I think I'd rather take my chances with the less angry folk.

Well I have. And thus equilibrium is reached in the anecdotes.

Like the person above stated, it's different in different states, but at least in California, drugs are drugs, regardless of rx / legality.

I'm fairly certain that even when self driving cars are prevalent, you'll still need to be awake/ not actively intoxicating yourself (open container law?) I don't know exactly, but I have a hard time seeing the government singing off on people just roving around getting drunk in their auto-cars.

Probably not any time soon. Maybe not even our life time. Eventually though it'd be great to have cars that can drive themselves without any human involvement. Imagine being able to sleep on the 8 hour drive and waking up fresh at your destination.

 

[Summer Haze]

I'd rather have angry drivers than angry AND stoned drivers. It's not like smoking is going to immediately turn someone from rage to mellow.

Yesterday a friend of mine found out he hasn't been accepted into the Navy due to a skin condition, I gave him some of my weed and two minutes later he was on top of the world.

Miracle drug confirmed.

But seriously, angry and stoned together? Does not compute.

 

[drtomoe123]

I have found that having a bowl or two to 'take the edge off' helps me during my day to day activities, but I don't think it wise to do anything that could harm other people regardless how confident you are in your abilities.

Oh, I definitely agree with you! I just think it's an important distinction to make considering many of the posts in this thread.

 

[Hale-XF11]

Well I have. And thus equilibrium is reached in the anecdotes.

Well, you don't need anecdotes to know that weed makes most people feel less aggressive and hostile than they might otherwise feel.

 

[akira28]

I disagree with this study.

I just find it highly suspicious.

Especially since they have been trying to walk back every study that has found marijuana to be not nearly as dangerous as they've been trying to prove for the last 50 years. especially in europe, its like a new movement.

 

[Summer Haze]

My lap times are better in Driveclub when I play stoned.

You can't explain that.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Well, you don't need anecdotes to know that weed makes most people feel less aggressive and hostile than they might otherwise feel.

And you don't need anecdotes to know that the effects aren't universal or not preferred to a non-stoned driver. Aggressive enough driving is already illegal. And so should be driving while on weed. They don't negate one another by being under the influence of both.

 

[Rentahamster]

The article is more about how people twist what they want out of facts. In this case that urban myth that driving stoned is better than driving straight.

Who says that? What I always heard was that if you had to compare the two, stoned driving is better than drunk driving.

 

[Sanjuro]

Probably not in all aspects. I doubt a stoned driver swerves much as an example, especially compared to the drunk driver. They'll probably be driving 45 in a 60 though.

I don't agree with your last point, but they are probably less erratic overall. I'm just suggesting that in the average encounter with an officer and car, there are probably a long list of observations before they determine who to pull over. Many of them could arise be sober, high, drunk.

 

[Coffee Dog]

If you've smoked weed regularly before, you know there's a difference between impairment when you have a low THC tolerance and when you have a high tolerance. I have no doubt that someone who's smoking some dank shit for the first time in their life might have problems driving because, well, they're probably tripping balls. If a heavy smoker takes a hit before driving, it's a much different, subdued experience.

It's subdued, but its still very much affecting your speed and alertness.

 

[Sun Drugs]

Who says that? What I always heard was that if you had to compare the two, stoned driving is better than drunk driving.

Yeah, the headline from the article leaves me confused:

Scientific research says it’s safer to drive high than straight, right? Wrong. Here are the phantom studies to (un)prove it

I've never heard anyone say that it's safer to drive high than sober.

 

[aeolist]

really we should be taking humans out of the equation as soon as possible

50 years from now people will marvel at the fact that we used to manually operate cars at high speeds

 

[Wray]

Self driving cars are going to make these studies pointless in another 5-10 years.

 

[valkillmore]

Can confirm I'm at LS Customs all the fucking time while partaking.

 

[riotous]

I think the bigger difference is that pot doesn't remove one's inhibitions; in general it creates more. Whereas drunk people literally have an affect on their brain that makes them more likely to do things they shouldn't be doing.

Tons of things affect people's driving; pot is definitely one of them. I'd wager someone could sober up more quickly form pot though; having smoked the same day as driving isn't some terrible offense, and might not even be illegal (much like drinking). Here in WA due to the legality of pot they have deeloped "active THC" tests that supposedly can come close to actually measuring how high you are.

I've never heard anyone say that it's safer to drive high than sober.

I've heard people make the claim; but never claim anything about a study proving it.

They just claim when they smoke they pay more attention; the claim of people who are terrible sober drivers apparently.

This article wastes a lot of copy on that straw man though; seems there point is to make fun of pot smokers while ironically making up a bunch of fake myths.

 

[samoscratch]

Who would have thought?

 

[Ray Wonder]

I've been in car accidents where the driver wasn't high. Statements like this are meaningless. Car accidents are a common occurrence,

What are you talking about? I said because of weed, admittedly because of weed. Dude's driving said it was because they were high.

 

[hydragonwarrior]

Geez, just regulate marijuana the same way alcohol is regulated.

i.e. Weed should be restricted to parties/bars with that license or on your own property, but can't be done in public and obviously can't be taken while driving as well.

And depending on how it's made, it can be more potent than a normal cigarette so you can't smoke it like one anywhere.

 

[Jenov]

I've actually read a few posts on here from Gaffers perpetuating the whole "I drive better while stoned" myth. Sad.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Stoners aren't smart.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Gates, Carl Sagan, Steve Jobs... Come on, son.

 

[Rodney McKay]

What's with the generalizing in every weed thread? I smoke weed every day and I'm never dopey or slow. It depends entirely on the strain, amount smoked, and the individual.

Well, yeah...

When people talk about drinking and driving being dangerous they aren't talking about having half a glass of 4% alcohol beer at lunch and driving back to work. They're talking about it being used to the point where it DOES effect a driver's cognitive function.

And with weed starting to become legal in more places, that'll lead to more people trying it for the first time who don't have an idea for what their tolerances are for the stuff or what strains will effect them more than others.

My painkillers when I had my wisdom teeth taken out said not to take and operate machinery or drive, but they didn't effect my attention or conceptration at all. But I'm still glad the warning was there because I know plenty of people who get knocked the fuck OUT when they take strong painkillers.

 

[besada]

I've never personally heard someone assert that driving high is safer than driving sober, and it's a pretty silly claim. I do routinely hear that it's safer than driving drunk, which appears to be true.

 

[riotous]

I've never personally heard someone assert that driving high is safer than driving sober, and it's a pretty silly claim. I do routinely hear that it's safer than driving drunk, which appears to be true.

It's usually worded as "I drive better when I'm high" (which is silly and might be indicative of how bad of a driver someone is, not how good they are high); not as some statement of fact about all people.. certainly never heard anyone claim a study proves it; which this entire article appears to be basing it's viewpoint.

"You know when all those stupid stoners claim a study says it's better to drive stoned than sober?"

No.

 

[Always-honest]

No shit.
Though some claimed otherwise on Gaf.

 

[Machina]

I've clocked about 30 hours of driving while high without incident.

I would like to meet these people who they tested because if they were so out of it that they were slower in their reaction times or whatever, they must've been marinated into the drivers seat.

 

[FStop7]

I tried driving high once and didn't like it at all. I didn't think it would be a problem. I felt very clear-headed. But after about 10 minutes I could tell it was a mistake and turned around.

 

[Skellig Gra]

I've clocked about 30 hours of driving while high without incident.

I would like to meet these people who they tested because if they were so out of it that they were slower in their reaction times or whatever, they must've been marinated into the drivers seat.

I was definitely a worse driver while high. Then I realized it was incredibly dumb and not worth the risk and stopped doing it. Biggest issue I had was being able to maintain a constant speed.

 

[Summer Haze]

Well, yeah...

I was replying to someone generalizing. You'd think it would be common knowledge that there are a wide range of factors to take into consideration when talking about the effects of a drug.

 

[davepoobond]

I disagree with this study.

"fuck you, science!"

 

[Brakke]

I've clocked about 30 hours of driving while high without incident.

I would like to meet these people who they tested because if they were so out of it that they were slower in their reaction times or whatever, they must've been marinated into the drivers seat.

1) Why are you clocking this?
2) Stop doing this.