HIGH DRIVERS KNOCKED DOWN

Pot Users May Think Twice About Lighting Up And Getting In Their Car

Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants impaired motorists off the road--and
now it's targetting people who toke before getting behind the wheel.

Anti-drunk-driving advocacy group MADD Canada wants Parliament to pass
legislation that would give police the authority to demand a urine or blood
sample from suspected drug-impaired drivers. Proposed federal legislation,
Bill C-16, scheduled for a third reading in Parliament today, would make it
a criminal offense to refuse to comply with police demand for a fluid sample.

Currently the breathalizer test is only effective in detecting alcohol
related impairment, so police use standard tests involving balance and
tracking eye movement to detect drug impairment.

"Right now police have no way to demand [fluid] samples," said Andrew
Murie, MADD Canada's CEO. "They still have to go through a standard 14-step
test."

Marc Emery, a local marijuana activist, said drivers shouldn't be judged on
what's in their bodies.

"It's having kids in the car, it's answering cell phones. There are a
million different things that can happen when people are on the road,"
Emery said. "The proof of competence is in performance."

Arts and sciences student Moe Arbab said it's not that dangerous to drive
under the influence of marijuana. He said mood is a more relevant factor.

"If you're feeling reckless, you drive reckless. If you smoke, get angry
and decide to drive, the anger will affect your driving," Arbab said.

But Arbab said he would prefer not to get into a car with a stoned driver.

"You can never trust someone that's on a substance," Arbab said. "It's
better to be safe than sorry."

On the other hand, Emery thinks pot smokers make better drivers.

"There's no road rage," he said. "They're more considerate, more thoughtful
and [drive] slower."

A 2004 Canadian Senate report on marijuana effects has mixed findings.

"Cannabis leads to a more cautious style of driving," the report said.

"Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills
involved in automobile driving."

However, the study also says "cannabis, particularly in the doses that
match typical doses for regular users, has a negative impact on decision
time and trajectory."

Mike Reid, a human kinetics student, agrees with the report's findings.

"[Pot] can affect your reaction times. It slows down your thoughts and I
think it takes your brain longer to process information," Reid said.

Stoned drivers may not be conscious of what's happening on the road, said
Codi Marsh, a recreation and leisure studies student.

"They might not be aware of a quick moving obstruction, or maybe even other
drivers changing lanes."

POT points

10 MILLION The number of Canadians who have used marijuana atleast once in
their lives.

90 PER CENT The percentage of Canadians supporting the decriminalization of
marijuana for medicinal purposes, according to a poll by the National Post
in 2000.

4 OUT OF 10 The number of teenagers aged 18 or 19 that used marijuana or
hash in 2002. Men are more likely to use marijuana than women.

Source: Statistics Canada