QUESTION = Does marijuana impair driving ability? GENERATION = I have not heard of this happening, but it does happen occasionally, I think. I have seen people on their way to the hospital pass through a few stoplights that have been turned off. They can drive normally, but sometimes the lights will dim. I have seen it happen with CBD players too, but I don't know about that one. I've also seen people in cars with broken windows or under the seat get caught in traffic. I have also seen people in accidents or accidents with no accidents at all, or people who are in a wreck or something, go through the same stoplights. I think it happens more often with CBD players than with cars though, so it may be that it is more common with CBD players than with cars. But I don't know if that is the case or not. I have also seen people who are intoxicated, but still able to drive, but they may be out of it for a few minutes, or they may be drunk for a long time, and then have trouble driving at all. I think that is the most common reason for people who are intoxicated to not be able to drive. I don't know what the actual reasoning is. RETRIEVAL #0 = Cannabis and impaired driving---levels with impairment. As stated in a report to Congress produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "[I]n contrast to the situation with alcohol, someone can show little or no impairment at a THC level at which someone else may show a greater degree of impairment." The report also noted that, in some studies, THC was detectable as late as 30 days after ingestion--even though the acute psychoactive effects of cannabis last only for a few hours. Section::::Effects on driving. While several studies have shown increased risk associated with cannabis use by drivers, other studies have not found increased risk. In the largest and most precisely controlled study of its kind carried out by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to research the risks of cannabis and driving, it was found that other "studies that measure the presence of THC in the drivers' blood or oral fluid, rather than relying on self-report tend to have much lower (or no) elevated crash risk estimates. Likewise better controlled studies have found lower (or no) elevated crash risk estimates". The study found that "after adjusting for age, gender, race and alcohol use, drivers who tested positive for marijuana were no more likely to crash than those who had not used any drugs or RETRIEVAL #1 = Cannabis (drug)---and may be "associated with diseases of the liver (particularly with co-existing hepatitis C), lungs, heart, and vasculature". It is recommended that cannabis use be stopped before and during pregnancy as it can result in negative outcomes for both the mother and baby. However, maternal use of marijuana during pregnancy does not appear to be associated with low birth weight or early delivery after controlling for tobacco use and other confounding factors. A 2014 review found that while cannabis use may be less harmful than alcohol use, the recommendation to substitute it for problematic drinking was premature without further study. Various surveys conducted between 2015 and 2019 found that many users of cannabis substitute it for prescription drugs (including opioids), alcohol, and tobacco; most of those who used it in place of alcohol or tobacco either reduced or stopped their intake of the latter substances. A limited number of studies have examined the effects of cannabis smoking on the respiratory system. Chronic heavy marijuana smoking is associated with coughing, production of sputum, wheezing, and other symptoms of chronic bronchitis. The available evidence does not support a causal relationship between cannabis use and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Short-term use of cannabis is associated with bronchodilation. Other side effects of cannabis use include cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome RETRIEVAL #2 = Cannabis and impaired driving---convicted under (a)(6) when they "consumed the drug or drugs detected according to the directions and terms of a lawfully obtained prescription for such drug or drugs; however, nothing in 3(a) or 3(b) prevent a driver from being prosecuted under § 4177(a)(2). Section::::Legal standards.:Americas.:United States.:State.:Georgia. Georgia Statute § 40-6-391 makes it to drive while there is ""any amount" of marijuana . . . present in the person's blood or urine, or both, "including the metabolites and derivatives of each or both" . . . ." Subsection (b) of the statute provides that being legally entitled to use a drug is not a defense to the statute if the person is still "rendered incapable of driving safely as a result" of using that drug. Section::::Legal standards.:Americas.:United States.:State.:Illinois. Illinois Vehicle Code 625 § 5/11-501 makes it a crime to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of any drug "to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving," (subsection (a)(3)) or while "there is any amount of a drug, substance, or compound in the person's breath, blood, other bodily substance, or urine resulting from the unlawful RETRIEVAL #3 = Cannabis and impaired driving---Wisconsin Statute § 346.63(1)(am) makes it a crime to drive with "a detectable amount of a restricted controlled substance in his or her blood." (Delta-9-tetahydrocannabinol is a "restricted controlled substance" under Wis. Stat. § 340.01(50m).) § 346.63(1)(d) provides that it is a defense to (1)(am) if defendant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that at the time of the incident they had a valid prescription for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. In "State v. Smet", the defendant argued that § 346.63(1)(am) violated due process and the equal protection clause, but the Court of Appeals of Wisconsin rejected his arguments. Section::::See also. BULLET::::- Cannabis drug testing BULLET::::- Driving under the influence BULLET::::- Drug–impaired driving BULLET::::- Drunk driving in the United States BULLET::::- DUID Section::::External links. BULLET::::- Marijuana and Driving - Research Brief prepared by National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (Australia), hosted at University of Washington, updated June 2013 BULLET::::- What You Need to RETRIEVAL #4 = Cannabis and impaired driving---states criminalize driving while under the influence of drugs. These state laws fall into three categories: (1) "zero tolerance" laws, which criminalizes driving with "any" amount of THC and/or its metabolites in the body; (2) "per se" laws, which criminalize driving with a "certain level" of THC in the body; (3) laws that focus on whether the driver was "actually impaired or affected" by THC; and (4) "permissible inference" laws, which allow an inference of impairment if the THC blood level is at least 5ng/ml. Section::::Legal standards.:Americas.:United States.:State.:Arizona. Arizona Revised Statute § 28-1381(A)(3) makes it illegal to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle while there is cannabis or its metabolite in the body. The statute was challenged as violating the equal protection clauses of the federal and Arizona constitutions in "State v. Hammonds," but the Court of Appeals of Arizona upheld the statute on the grounds that the "presence of an inactive and nonimpairing metabolite of an illicit drug in a driver's urine does not necessarily mean that there is no active component of that drug present in the driver's blood." In a law review article, attorney Joshua Snow argues that the court's reasoning RETRIEVAL #5 = Cannabis and impaired driving---standards.:Americas.:United States.:State.:New York. New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192(4) provides that "[n]o person shall operate a motor vehicle while the person's ability to operate such a motor vehicle is impaired by the use of a drug." Courts apply a four-step process in determining whether there is a prima facie case for a violation of § 1192(4): (1) defendant ingested a drug; (2) the drug is one proscribed by Public Health Law § 3306; (3) defendant drove after ingesting the drug; and (4) while driving, defendant's driving ability was impaired by the drug. But there is a qualification to this test where the ingested drug is cannabis: there must be a showing of "substantial impairment". In "People v. Shakemma", a police officer's observation of defendant's car swerving off of the road and onto the road shoulder by half a car width, of the smell of cannabis on her car, and of her red eyes and pinpoint pupils, did not rise to the level of showing substantial impairment. The District Court of New York dismissed state's case for lack of probable cause. Section::::Legal standards.:Americas.:United States.:State.:Ohio. Ohio Statute § 4511.19 RETRIEVAL #6 = Cannabis (drug)---drug offered. A related alternative to the gateway hypothesis is the common liability to addiction (CLA) theory. It states that some individuals are, for various reasons, willing to try multiple recreational substances. The "gateway" drugs are merely those that are (usually) available at an earlier age than the harder drugs. Researchers have noted in an extensive review that it is dangerous to present the sequence of events described in gateway "theory" in causative terms as this hinders both research and intervention. Section::::Research. Cannabis research is challenging since the plant is illegal in most countries. Research-grade samples of the drug are difficult to obtain for research purposes, unless granted under authority of national governments. There are also other difficulties in researching the effects of cannabis. Many people who smoke cannabis also smoke tobacco. This causes confounding factors, where questions arise as to whether the tobacco, the cannabis, or both that have caused a cancer. Another difficulty researchers have is in recruiting people who smoke cannabis into studies. Because cannabis is an illegal drug in many countries, people may be reluctant to take part in research, and if they do agree to take part, they may not say how much cannabis they actually smoke. A 2015 review found that the use of high CBD-to-THC strains of cannabis