Posted by KimberlyDi on November 4, 2003, at 15:35:46
In reply to Cannabis and Driving -- An Ignored Study, posted by Ame Sans Vie on October 31, 2003, at 15:22:52
I'm sure it's just the munchies while driving that causes the risk. <grin>
> Just thought I'd post this because it finally validates what I've long thought to be the case. Everyone I've ever known has said they drive better stoned! lol
>
> ~~~
>
> NO PROOF CANNABIS PUT DRIVERS AT RISK
>
> Studies had found it impossible to prove cannabis adversely affected driving, an Adelaide University researcher said yesterday.
>
> Professor Jack Maclean, director of the road accident research unit, said, while there was no doubt alcohol affected driving adversely, that was not the case with marijuana.
>
> "It has been impossible to prove marijuana affects driving adversely," he told the Australian Driver Fatigue Conference in Sydney.
>
> "There is no doubt marijuana affects performance but it may be it affects it in a favourable way by reducing risk-taking."
>
> Professor Maclean said a study of blood samples taken by SA hospitals from people injured in road accidents found marijuana was the second most common drug, after alcohol, in the bloodstream.
>
> Those with marijuana in their blood, however, were at fault in less than half of the accidents.
>
> "Alcohol was by far the most common drug and 80 per cent of those with alcohol on board were judged to be responsible ( for accidents )," he said.
>
> "The next most common drug, but much less, was marijuana and about 48 per cent of the people with marijuana were judged to have been responsible for their crash."
>
> He said the lack of proof that marijuana was detrimental to driving was not because of a lack of effort by researchers.
>
> "I can say that there are some quite distinguished researchers who are going through incredible contortions to try and prove that marijuana has to be a problem," he said.
>
> Professor Maclean said some researchers also found the risk of crashing while driving at the speed limit in a metropolitan area actually decreased if a driver had been drinking but was under the 0.05 blood alcohol limit.
>
> "Perhaps for some people one or two glasses of alcohol may steady them down," he said.
>
> As speed and alcohol concentration rose, however, the risk of accidents rose exponentially.
poster:KimberlyDi
thread:275321
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031030/msgs/276556.html