Drunk and under the effect of cannabis
Introduction
The Colorado Department of Transportation published a report that provides public information on cannabis consumption driving last month, highlighting the key conclusions about why some people drive under the influence of cannabis and what would you convince them not to do so. CDOT launched its first Drive High campaign, Get A DUI in 2014, coinciding with the opening of the first recreational marijuana dispensaries of the state. But driving under the effects of cannabis has continued to be a problem. In 2018, more than 13% of the drivers involved in fatal accidents tested positive for cannabis.
The solution was a frank conversation with state marijuana users to address the problem. The conversation cannabis was launched in 2017, a two -year study destined to involve residents in the construction of solutions to reduce deteriorated driving. The department connected with more than 18,000 inhabitants of Colorado through a series of in -depth surveys, public meetings and focal groups. The authorities believe that the results will help make a difference in change in behaviors.
Developing
‘It was the largest public participation campaign in the country on the issue of marijuana and driving," said Sam Cole, Cdot Communications Manager. We are actually sharing the information with other states, because they are very interested in what we have learned. As they legalize more and more states, they want to know some of the best practices when it comes to attacking cannabis consumers in their state about high driving dangers. I think the results will be of great help in the coming years ’.
Perhaps the greatest conclusion is that people who consume cannabis more frequently consider that driving under their influence is less dangerous. Respondents who do not drive after using cannabis, and those who do not consume it at all, felt uncomfortable with the idea of high drivers on the road. But heavier users do not feel the same, according to the report.
Cannabis users said they consume less when they know they will drive, but many daily users said that at least occasionally they were driving under the influence. Most respondents said their main considerations before driving were travel conditions, feeling enough and how recently they consumed cannabis. Many daily marijuana users said they considered safe driving under the influence of cannabis.
Unfortunately, we listen to many cannabis consumers who do not believe it is dangerous, and a small minority even believes that a better driver makes them, Cole said. We also know that cannabis consumers who will be the most difficult to attack are those who consume less frequent users daily. What we learned is that the more you consume marijuana, the more you are the most likely to think that it is less dangerous when it comes to driving.
Many cannabis consumers also said they were skeptical about policies and the application of the law when it came to driving under influence, and wanted more complete data on the dangers of driving drugs, a better investigation into the ways of measuring deterioration and deteriorationGuidelines for dose limits and waiting periods. Alcohol consumption research has returned solid guidelines using principles such as the Widmark formula, which estimates the concentration of alcohol in the blood based on variables such as weight, sex and the amount of alcohol consumed in a given period.
‘What has been done with alcohol, and has not yet been done with marijuana, is the Widmark equation,’ said CPL. Carrie Jackson, an expert in drug recognition with the patrol of the state of Colorado in the counties of Eagle and Summit. ‘Widmark determined Theta, the exchange rate: if you consume x amount of alcohol and wait for so many hours, it will be processed through your body at this rate. ‘Because marijuana is not legal at the federal level, we do not have the established subsidies to do a study like Widmark and discover what is the change rate within the human body’.
Instead of more precise measurements, cannabis consumers said they trusted more in intestinal instinct. Most said that sometimes they had felt uncomfortably high and knew it was not safe to drive after consuming cannabis. CDOT hopes to put the new information to work immediately. Study participants said they wanted authentic and conversational messages that avoid tactics and fear stereotypes.
Cole said that the department has already designed a new advertising campaign called UNCOMFORBLE HIGH, a concept that officials expect invoked a sense of discomfort around driving with cannabis problems. We listen to about 20,000 people about their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors when it comes to driving under the influence of marijuana, said Cole.
We definitely learned a lot about what to do and what not to do when it comes to getting to cannabis consumers throughout the state. While officials continue efforts to compromise more effectively with cannabis consumers, disabilities remains a problem in areas such as summit county.
I would say that at least half of my arrests for drunk driving are arrests for drug management, said Jackson. Jackson continued to say that with the continuous prevalence of legal marijuana, the state patrol is making efforts to expand training for advanced road maneuvers. Police are also using newer methods to become familiar with disabled drivers. A few years ago, Chris Halsor, founder of Marijuana LLC Legal Understanding, premiered the ‘Green Laboratory’, which helps train public order forces to detect drivers with cannabis problems.
conclusion
The laboratory has volunteers who consume marijuana and then submit to maneuvers and questions on the way to help officers better understand deterioration. But more studies will be needed to completely understand the impacts of driving with cannabis problems and the use of marijuana in general.
I am curious to see, looking at national trends, at what point it will be legalized at the national level, said Jackson. And I am curious to see if we will finally have that laboratory study for the exchange rate. It is simply not there yet. Returning to studies that have been carried out can be harmful for up to 24 hours. I say that I expect that the full 24 hours. In case of doubt, use public transport, an uber or a lyft. If you are not sure if it is sure to drive, do not do it. It is an unnecessary risk.
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