Driving while high on marijuana
There aren't many people who would disagree with the fact that drinking and driving is a ridiculous thing to do - and the same goes for using marijuana and getting behind the wheel of a car. Marijuana, pot, hash, whatever you want to call it, is a drug, and just like alcohol, it affects your brain and body in ways that make it extremely unsafe for you to drive. It doesn't take much to distract you when you're high and when it comes to driving, you need to have your full attention on the road at all times. All it takes is for a dog or a child to step out onto the street, at which point you need fast reaction skills - and since drugs affect such skills, the odds of a collision increase significantly. Driving under the influence of any drug that impairs your abilities is extremely irresponsible and it's against the law.
Proposed changes to the law
The Canadian government has just proposed new legislation that will allow police officers to demand tests of your physical capabilities when they suspect that you're driving under the influence of marijuana (or any other drug) and to demand bodily fluids for testing. It would also be a criminal offence to refuse these demands. Until this proposed legislation becomes law, police can only ask people to volunteer to take the tests (other than for alcohol).
The proposed legislation will also be accompanied by a national training program to help police make a more accurate determination of your ability (or inability) to drive. Whether or not the proposed reforms go through, driving under the influence of drugs is and always will be treated as seriously as drinking and driving - and the penalties are understandably strict. The purpose of the training program and the new law is to help police deal with a serious problem, not just with young drivers, but with adults as well.
What happens if you are stopped by the police?
Under the current laws, driving while impaired by any drug - including marijuana - is against the law even though there's no "legal limit" offence like there is for alcohol. This is because there's no agreement among scientists on a threshold level at which the drug significantly increases crash risk. Police can use their own judgement and information from witnesses to determine whether or not you might be driving while impaired by a drug. The new measures that will help police make a more accurate determination of your ability or inability to drive is national training in:
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests: Before portable alcohol "breathalyzers" were invented, police would ask suspected drunk-drivers to walk a straight line, try to touch their nose with their eyes closed and do other things to test their coordination. So now, if and when the proposed law is passed, they'll have physical screening tests that are specifically designed to see if you're impaired by a drug.
Drug Recognition Experts: Different types of drugs create unique symptoms in people whether marijuana, cocaine, LSD or prescription drugs. Some officers are already trained to recognize these symptoms and many others across the country are receiving training in this area.
Bodily Fluid Samples: The changes to the law will allow police to demand bodily fluid samples. These samples can come from blood, urine or saliva, and a laboratory technician would analyze the sample to determine whether the drug identified by the Drug Recognition Expert officer is actually present.
Since the effects of impairing drugs on your ability to drive are unknown, no amount is a safe amount.
