Interesting outcome on driving while impaired by marijuana charge

[JRSC00LUDE]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...ty-120830.html

I really don't know what to think about this to be honest, should be interesting when it hits the appeals court as I am sure it will since it's setting a defence precedent I would think.

—D. E. Labach, provincial court judge
'I would have appreciated some evidence as to how these observations related to the accused’s ability to drive a motor vehicle.'

Edit - and yes, I am well aware I did not spell "while" in the heading....

[Modelexis]

According to the poll below the article, 30% of Canadians are stupider than shit.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by Modelexis
According to the poll below the article, 30% of Canadians are stupider than shit.

Well it is CBC so they're likely socialists.

[dj_patm]

Those tests are pretty stupid though.

What if you just have poor coordination?

DUI's from Checkstops are the only charges where you get charged before you actually do anything wrong.

I understand why they exist and I even support them but it is a flawed practice. How many people do you think have been given a DUI that were in perfectly fine driving condition due to checkstops? Not saying they were innocent or anything, the law is the law but it's still food for thought.

.08 is a pretty arbitrary number when you think about it.

The only way to honestly test if someone is impaired is to either catch them driving poorly or make them run a driving skill test when pulled over at a checkstop.

[clemmy26]

Checkstops are just as much about revenue generation as they are about catching impaired drivers. Catch a few drunks and make some bucks through that process, and then hand out a few tickets for equipment infractions. The cops feel like heros and the coffers are a little more padded. IMO of course

[revelations]

^ This comment is exactly why cops have it bad. Everyone is crying out to get the drunks off the road but then people like yourself seem to think the motive is purely financial when in fact the opposite is true. Dealing with one drunk case all the way through the courts is a HUGE financial burden on the system.

Speed on green cameras? Purely profit.

Photo radar in construction zones when the construction is done, equipment and men gone ? Purely profit.

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by revelations
..people like yourself seem to think the motive is purely financial...

He didn't say it was purely financial, he said it was 50/50.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
Edit - and yes, I am well aware I did not spell "while" in the heading....

Looks fine to me. Are you high?

[Kloubek]

I would have liked their poll to include an option for something like "It is not as bad as drinking and driving, but still impairs judgement and reflexes". Because quite honestly, that's exactly the case, and anyone who doesn't agree is advocating a little too hard for weed use, imo.

Mind you, so does being tired. Or being on certain legal medications. They do need to draw the line at some point, but with the distracted driving law in place now it does appear they are looking to cover all bases.

[bbcustoms]

Originally posted by Kloubek
I would have liked their poll to include an option for something like "It is not as bad as drinking and driving, but still impairs judgement and reflexes". Because quite honestly, that's exactly the case, and anyone who doesn't agree is advocating a little too hard for weed use, imo.

Mind you, so does being tired. Or being on certain legal medications. They do need to draw the line at some point, but with the distracted driving law in place now it does appear they are looking to cover all bases.

I don't smoke weed anymore (around 10 years since I have) and was never an advocate for it even when I smoked regularly. I honestly don't think there is an impairment with it. If anything I was more alert and a better driver when high, it does affect everybody differently but for myself I would always focus more on my driving while high. Not to say I don't pay attention normally, but more of a heightened sense of everything while high.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Benny]

Originally posted by Kloubek
I would have liked their poll to include an option for something like "It is not as bad as drinking and driving, but still impairs judgement and reflexes". Because quite honestly, that's exactly the case, and anyone who doesn't agree is advocating a little too hard for weed use, imo.

Mind you, so does being tired. Or being on certain legal medications. They do need to draw the line at some point, but with the distracted driving law in place now it does appear they are looking to cover all bases.

This. Sick of all the dummies who say there's no impairment from driving high. I think people who never admit to any negatives of smoking weed are holding back any semblance of a legalization movement.

[dj_patm]

When you think about it, whats the real difference between a drunk driver and a distracted driver? Nothing really.

A drunk and someone who is distracted are probably just as likely to run a light and cause an accident but we still persecute drunk drivers caught at a checkstop way more for no real reason... technically they haven't been proven to be anymore dangerous individually then your average asian

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by Mibz
Looks fine to me. Are you high?

Dave's not here man!

[mark4091]

I could rant for hours about this subject, but yes for someone who uses marijuana it's not something that changes your ability to drive a vehicle.

It's something to be used upon your discretion. I never find myself in a situation where I need to drive somewhere after smoking a joint. Worst case scenario is waiting 45 mins.

Adults who smoke weed responsibly don't have some dream of getting impaired and driving. It's ignorant for some to assume it's equivalent when it's not possible to catch anybody who does it.

Sure you might catch some dumb kids driving around smoking weed, but we all know the problems on our roads are created by morons going out and having 30 drinks at a bar and going 180 the whole way home.

[Nitro5]

Originally posted by bbcustoms


I don't smoke weed anymore (around 10 years since I have) and was never an advocate for it even when I smoked regularly. I honestly don't think there is an impairment with it. If anything I was more alert and a better driver when high, it does affect everybody differently but for myself I would always focus more on my driving while high. Not to say I don't pay attention normally, but more of a heightened sense of everything while high.

In all honesty you sound like someone who makes excuses for driving drunk. When I was in collage I heard a lot of guys say they were better drivers drunk because they paid more attention to driving as well

Getting fucked up is getting fucked up, be it booze, weed, or anything else. Just too bad there isn't a scale for weed as I'm sure there is a light buzz that is no worse than being under .08.

[Kloubek]

It is true that drugs and alcohol may affect people differently. I actually believe that *some* people on a light high might actually drive more carefully than they would otherwise.

But on the general whole, driving impaired is driving impaired. Anything someone does to make themselves a greater danger on the road is not a good thing. And I don't care how advocates may try to spin it, but smoking a J does indeed inhibit your reflexes and judgement as does anything with depressant properties. I believe there may be a "safe limit" as there is deemed to be one with alcohol, but if we aren't able to roadside test for it in the first place, we certainly can't establish that safe limit.

The better choice: Just don't drive if you feel under the influence of any drug.

For the record for those who think I'm just an anti-drug guy with a stick up his ass, I've only recently quit smoking weed due to turning a page in my "life book" with a baby and a management position at work. But I 100% agree with legalization and would still be smoking if I didn't have the responsibilities I do. This isn't about weed being "evil"; I think it is a far better alternative to alcohol. It is just about using intelligently, and driving under the influence is just not a good idea.

[masoncgy]

New baby and quitting the habit... haha... you'll be back!

[bbcustoms]

Originally posted by Nitro5


In all honesty you sound like someone who makes excuses for driving drunk. When I was in collage I heard a lot of guys say they were better drivers drunk because they paid more attention to driving as well

Getting fucked up is getting fucked up, be it booze, weed, or anything else. Just too bad there isn't a scale for weed as I'm sure there is a light buzz that is no worse than being under .08.

Not even close, no excuses for drinking and driving whatsoever. Anybody who says they are a better driver drunk is full of shit. I have smoked a lot of weed and drank enough Corona that I probably could have retired already if I had just saved the money. However I do believe weed affects people differently, for me I was at least equivalent or a better driver high.

P.S. I never went to college, but I can spell it.

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by bbcustoms
P.S. I never went to college, but I can spell it.