July 29, 2004
Driving while medicated?
Driving while medicated on marijuana has always been a contentious issue on both sides of the debate.
Some claim that no one should ever drive with any marijuana in their system, even if that marijuana was consumed days or weeks prior. Others claim that medical marijuana users never get high, and that it's no problem for medical marijuana patients to drive while medicated.
The truth lies somewhere in between.
I have been forced into positions of having to drive while medicated on marijuana, and have found that my ability to drive depends upon several variables.
Is it true that medical marijuana users never get high? My answer is no. Sometimes, however, if one smokes continuously, and of the same strain, then it is possible that one does not feel high. When I was smoking up to an ounce per week, I often felt relaxed and tired, but not high. This would sometimes vary depending upon the time of day, the amount of food I've consumed, and the strain of marijuana. It became, at times, easy to smoke myself sober.
Now that I've reduced my intake to less than a quarter of an ounce per week, I will often feel high after a few puffs, and really high after one or two bowls from a pipe. Driving at that time, sometimes I will drive smoothly and carefully, and other times I'm nervous and uncertain. On the surface streets, during daylight, I drive better while a little buzzed. On freeways, especially at night due to poor night-vision, I drive a bit worse, slower, and perhaps overly cautious.
When I worked at the medical marijuana center, if we ever gave any patient some marijuana that did not make them high, they would either complain or return it. In any event, they would not like that strain, and would try to avoid it in the future.
Most patients smoke until they feel the high, and it is the high that helps them relax their stomach muscles and build up an appetite. Psychologically, at least, without the high, they felt the cannabis was not working.
Some people, especially those in favor of full legalization (we'll discuss those people in another post), will lie in order to push society towards amore favorable opinion of marijuana. Many of those whom I've heard state that they never get high, I have personally witnessed them being very high at times.
You might wonder what the times I've driven while medicated was like. In most cases, I was able to drive quite well. I drove more carefully, more at ease, and more aware of my surroundings. Other times I felt myself being too high, and was uncomfortable in the car, unsure in traffic congestion, and a little afraid that I would crash or be unable to make quick, decisive moves when confronted with a crisis. Luckily, I haven't had such a crisis while driving high, but it's not something I would enjoy discovering. After the high has somewhat dissipated, the marijuana has no adverse effects upon my driving.
In addition, even if I don't feel high, if a child runs out in front of me and I'm unable to stop in time, I will always wonder what effect the marijuana had on my reactions. I don't want to ever be in that position.
In short, it is best not to smoke while feeling high.
Posted by Kroeme on July 29, 2004 12:23 PM
Comments
These types of postings are extremely harmful to young viewers. First of all, you are not using medical marijuana. You are smoking marijuana. There is a huge difference and people like you are encouraging our youth to use a substance that is harmful to thier health. Medicinal marijuana comes in a pill form. It is referred to as Marinoll or Cannibinoll. When taken as prescribed, (which is against the law in the United States) the patient does not feel the "high" effects that you are speaking of in your posting.
Posted by: Iris at June 9, 2005 11:10 AM
To the comment above, that is not entirely true. Medical cannibas can come in many forms including a plant flower subtance. The thc can be extradacted and put into other forms of things like edibles. Medical Marijuana is distributed throughout participating states in the US.
Posted by: 420Expert at July 26, 2007 4:50 PM
dont judge someone just because they smoke, they could be an amazing person probably smarter than you are.
Posted by: Amber at November 16, 2007 1:30 PM
pKahUG
Posted by: Wlhneocn at July 14, 2009 5:50 AM
pKahUG
Posted by: Wlhneocn at July 14, 2009 5:51 AM