In a move to strengthen state laws that make it illegal to drive under the influence of any drug, Colorado lawmakers gave initial approval on Thursday to a bill that would establish a legal limit for how much THC drivers can legally have in their system.
The bill “would allow a person who drives with a tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) blood content of 5 nanograms or more to be charged with DUI.”
While the lawmakers who introduced the bill consider it “pretty analogous” to the level of alcohol in a person’s blood that constitutes a DUI, opponents view it as a witchhunt on medical marijuana patients”.
Those against the pill point out that THC levels have been shown to remain high in some peoples’ bloodstreams hour hours after they’ve stopped smoking.
Mike Elliott, Executive Director of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, endorses the bill, but is still weary, saying:
“We are pleased to support the concept of this bill there is a lack of research on this issue, particularly concerning edibles, and appropriate time frames for safe consumption and impairment.”
Love it or hate it, just like alcohol, marijuana does impare judgement and slow our reaction time, so it is a good idea to have a standard measure of what constitutes a driver as being too high to drive.
[Image via AP Images.]
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