Don't Toke and Drive

Under the Criminal Code it is an offence to operate a motor vehicle while your ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or drugs. 

With the potential for marijuana to be legal soon the issue of driving while stoned is more important than ever. 

Up till now impaired driving charges have been overwhelmingly alcohol related; out of 50,000 charges laid each year for drunk driving in Canada, fewer than 1,000 are for drug impairments.

That said, drug impairment (and not all are marijuana) is a real problem. In 2010, nearly as many drivers died in road crashes after using drugs (34.2%) as those who had been drinking (39.1%).

So what should you do?

First, don't drive high. It's not legal and more important you are risking people's lives. 

Second, don't guess how high you are. With alcohol there are some pretty well known standards - you have a beer an hour ago and nothing more and you are (probably) ok to drive - but pot varies in strength and dose so much that you really can't tell how it affects you.  This is especially true if you smoke a joint and have a beer. 

We are entering a new world with legal marijuana and overall that's probably a good thing - but don't smoke and drive!

Under the Criminal Code it is an offence to operate a motor vehicle while your ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or drugs. 

With the potential for marijuana to be legal soon the issue of driving while stoned is more important than ever. 

Up till now impaired driving charges have been overwhelmingly alcohol related; out of 50,000 charges laid each year for drunk driving in Canada, fewer than 1,000 are for drug impairments.

That said, drug impairment (and not all are marijuana) is a real problem. In 2010, nearly as many drivers died in road crashes after using drugs (34.2%) as those who had been drinking (39.1%).

So what should you do?

First, don't drive high. It's not legal and more important you are risking people's lives. 

Second, don't guess how high you are. With alcohol there are some pretty well known standards - you have a beer an hour ago and nothing more and you are (probably) ok to drive - but pot varies in strength and dose so much that you really can't tell how it affects you.  This is especially true if you smoke a joint and have a beer. 

We are entering a new world with legal marijuana and overall that's probably a good thing - but don't smoke and drive!