How much pot can a person smoke and then drive safely? It’s a question more and more states are grappling with as the legalization of marijuana becomes more widespread.
Those states are not alone as nearly half of Americans express similar concerns and report feeling that drug-impaired drivers are a bigger problem today compared to three years ago, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
While 85% of Americans support marijuana-impairment laws, according to its latest survey, the definition of “impairment” is a tough one to nail down when it comes to John Q. Public as well as the law enforcement community.
“While all states prohibit driving under the influence of drugs, there’s significant variation in the minimum acceptable levels of marijuana or its traces in a driver’s system,” said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
“Sixteen states forbid any presence of prohibited drugs, while five others have specific limits for marijuana. With a lack of uniformity, it’s no surprise we found that more than half of American drivers are unaware of the laws that exist in their state.”
With alcohol, the rules seem pretty clear, especially legally. Most states use a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 as the benchmark for legally drunk, although some still use 0.1. Impairment begins at 0.05 for most states.
However, it’s not just the finite numbers for alcohol compared with marijuana. American drivers are significantly less concerned about the threat of drug impairment behind the wheel. The survey found that while two-thirds feel that those who drive after drinking alcohol pose a “very serious” threat to their personal safety, just over half feel the same way about drug use.
In fact, one-in-six Americans report that, where they live, most people feel it’s acceptable to drive one hour after using marijuana.
“Federal government research suggests that marijuana can impair driving performance for up to three hours,” warned Kissinger. “Decreased car handling performance, increased reaction times and sleepiness have all been documented driver impairments that result from marijuana use.”
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