Are You Afraid Of Getting A DUI For Having THC In Your Blood?
Are You Afraid Of Getting A DUI For Having THC In Your Blood?
maybe don't read this if you're currently high. Or do. You decide! Freedom ride!
I worded it that way on purpose. I'm not asking if you're worried about getting a DUI for driving stoned, because if you're driving stoned... well, you probably should be worried about getting a DUI.
I'm referring to getting a DUI for having THC in your blood, but not actually being high.
Should we be concerned about people who are super high driving around and endangering others? Yes, we should. But does that mean that the prohibition is justified? If your answer was yes, do you feel the same way about alcohol?
In 2015, 10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (29%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. - CDC
It's easy to tell how drunk someone is by simply using breath alcohol testing devices, such as a breathalyzer. Such devices are accurately able to detect the blood alcohol content of the driver suspected of being impaired.
The reason breathalyzers work with alcohol but do not work in the same way with cannabis has to do with where the drugs are stored within one's body. Alcohol is a water-loving compound whereas cannabis is a fat-loving compound. Alcohol may last in your blood longer, but it does not linger around in your tissues like THC does. Similarly, THC does not stay in the blood very long at all. Nearly three quarters of the THC will have disappeared from the user's blood within a half hour, and nearly all of the THC will be gone within an hour and a half.
That's when it gets a little worrisome. Washington, for example, has a limit of 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter in a driver's blood. Any more than that, and you could be serious legal repercussions. There is no science to back the assumption that simply having 5 nanograms of active THC in one's blood necessarily means they're high. As I mentioned earlier, THC is stored in fat and tissues and lingers in the body for quite some time.
Not everyone reacts the same to THC at all. A person who wakes and bakes, and then smokes weed all throughout the day can most likely do so without seeming terribly high. I'm not suggesting that this person belongs behind the wheel of a car on the road, but I'm saying that they probably would have more than 5 nanograms of THC in their blood at any time. Should they just never be allowed to drive?
Society certainly seems like it's in denial about the reality of alcohol and driving. They serve alcohol at daytime craft fairs. Everyone loves a Bloody Mary or 4 with brunch, with a mini beer chaser, of course. County parks in some areas of the US have biergartens in them, right by the playground. How many people on the roads at bar close do you really think are sober? I'm not condoning any of that, but no one demonizes drinkers or uses the fact that so many people drive under the influence of alcohol to justify its prohibition. Parking lots full of people get wasted behind their cars before sporting events.
What about distracted driving due to mobile phone use? Pay attention the next time you're on the freeway, and look to see how many people are looking at their phones while they're driving. It's quite a lot of them. The National Safety Council says that mobile use while driving causes over 1.6 million crashes per year, and if that's not enough, they also say that crashes caused by mobile phone use are severely underreported.
When do you think the world will be a safe place for stoners to be themselves?
Wish there were some information processing models of experiments that tested stoned driving amongst drunks and regulars, and vary among newbies. If some class of people drive safer stoned should they be encouraged to?
I'm an alien! I ain't afraid of shit 👽
I know. If aliens weee afraid of ahit, they wouldn't be so into anal probing. 🤣
Precisely my point, alien. :)
I take a dose of over 500mg’s of opiates per day. I’m not currently driving, but that also isn’t why. There was no doctor telling me not to drive at the time I stopped(when my prescription still topped 1000mg per day.)
Sure, they’ve had years to research opiates(kinda makes you wonder why they’re only suddenly dropping all of this “new information” on how dangerous they are now that they’ve caused a crisis that could kill 25% of us,) but the bottom line is that they know that once someone has been on a dose of opiates for a long enough amount of time, it stops getting them “high,” and becomes their new “normal.”
I’m sure they will come to similar conclusions with cannabis, and now that they have a need, I wouldn’t expect a cannabis specific blood test that is able to shed a much more accurate light on an individuals use patterns to be much farther behind.
In Oregon, you’re submitting to a blood test for DUI by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. This has long been the law here, and now that we have legal cannabis, I understand that it’s something that they’re looking for, and a risk I’m taking if I get behind the wheel.
In my ever learning exprience, Mother Ganja is kind to those whom are kind, gentle with those whom are Gentle and sometimes a pissed off Mama, Saan with a big hemp Stick, if you are stupid with her Medicine, I am talking metaphorically to some, ; )
If you respect the power of cannabis, you will harm no one...cannabis is a manifold enhancer...so if your not that bright about your own self respect, then that will be expressed in a bountiful
way;)
I love the pale blue VW
you got me going...
Lynn
Very interesting read, could a DUI for cannabis can be fought in court due it insubstantial evidence behind the nanogram test. Since I'm a heavy user it's good to know because I'm sure there's more that 5 nanograms in my system most of the time..
I think it would definitely depend on the state. It's a pretty scary thought, though.
I am concerned that they will test blood to determine if thc is present which is total bull shit, and im sure its going to line the pockets of the drug testing company's as well. Honestly I think cops should use their best judgement, like if somebody gets pulled over with smoke rolling out the window, or something on that lines.
hahaha I dig it 100 %
You got a 2.83% upvote from @bid4joy courtesy of @marksheppard!
Really interesting people always talk about THC staying in the blood longer, as compared to the urine test. I rather drive on a weed buzz than boozing, my senses would be much sharper.
Certainly, though one could argue neither is truly appropriate or safe.
Thanks for reminding and giving thoese good informations, I had a dangerous experience with alcohool and driving, I learnt from that, great work, u participate on saving people life, i love your post and of course i follow, waiting ur next great work
Thank you so much!