Don't drive high
Highlights:
- After cannabis consumption, coordination, reaction time, ability to judge distances, and decision-making skills are impaired.
- Severe penalties will be imposed on drivers found under the influence of cannabis.
- Effects of cannabis consumption vary greatly in individuals and may last up to 12 hours.
Let’s get straight to it: if you’re using cannabis, don’t drive.
Scientists agree that based on existing research, there is currently no safe limit for driving under the influence of cannabis. Considering the numerous factors that can affect an individual’s experience, there’s no way of knowing how much is too much.
According to some sources, cannabis on its own has not caused a single fatal overdose. However, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, 75 people died and 4,407 injuries were linked to cannabis-impaired drivers in 2012.
How cannabis impairs driving
Cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), enhanced by the plant’s terpenes, can sometimes cause unexpected effects that will impair your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Among other things, cannabis consumption can affect:
- balance and coordination
- motor skills
- attention
- judgment
- reaction time
- decision-making skills
The effects from smoking or vaping can begin in seconds and may last for several hours (and longer in novice consumers). Ingesting cannabis in the form of capsules or oils, or through homemade edibles, may start to affect you within as little as 30 minutes and can last up to 12 hours or more. Effects can vary greatly from one individual to the next, depending on numerous factors including body mass, tolerance, consumption method, and the potency and amount of the product consumed. That said, in all circumstances, it is recommended to wait a minimum of eight hours or more (or until after you’ve had a good night’s rest) before getting behind the wheel.
Penalties for impaired driving
Several awareness campaigns have been launched to discourage the consumption of cannabis prior to driving. New federal and provincial legislation includes severe penalties as a deterrent. Similar to a breathalyzer for alcohol, a roadside test has been introduced to allow police officers to check for the presence and concentration of THC via an oral fluid sample test, a drug recognition evaluation, or a blood sample. It is also illegal for a passenger to consume cannabis products in a motor vehicle, even if the driver is not consuming cannabis themselves.
Bill C-46 made amendments to the Criminal Code in reference to drug-impaired driving offences. It also introduced legal limits for THC. The proposed legal levels of THC and associated offences for being over the limit are as follows:
- Having two nanograms but less than five nanograms per one millilitre of blood can result in a summary conviction offence (a maximum fine of $1,000 for the first offence).
- Having five nanograms or more per one millilitre of blood may result in a drug-only hybrid offence equivalent to the penalties associated with alcohol impaired driving.
- Having at least 2.5 nanograms or more per one millilitre of blood, combined with 50 milligrams or more of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, may result in a drugs-with-alcohol hybrid offence, which is equivalent to the penalties associated with alcohol-impaired driving.
- In line with alcohol-based offences, there are mandatory minimum penalties of $1,000 for a first offence, 30-day imprisonment for a second offence, and 120-day imprisonment for a third offence.
Here in BC, the provincial Cannabis Control and Licensing Act includes Motor Vehicle Act amendments that give the police more tools to deter drug-affected driving and remove drug-impaired drivers from the road. A new 90-day Administrative Driving Prohibition will apply to any driver whom police believe has operated a motor vehicle while affected by a drug or by a combination of a drug and/or alcohol. This will be based on analysis of a bodily substance or an evaluation by a specially trained police drug recognition expert. New drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program will be subject to a zero-tolerance restriction for the presence of THC.
Combining cannabis with alcohol or other psychoactive products intensifies the overall effect. Do not drive after consuming cannabis or mixing it with other substances - it's just not worth the risk.