T
The420Guy
Guest
Berkshire, United Kingdom: Marijuana has far less impact on psychomotor
skills than alcohol and is seldom a causal factor in automobile
accidents, according to the findings of two recent international studies.
The first, conducted by Britain's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL),
found that drivers under the influence of marijuana performed better
behind the wheel than those under the influence of alcohol. Researchers
reported that although pot adversely influenced subjects' ability to
accurately steer a car (so-called "tracking ability"), the drug failed to
affect volunteer's reaction time or any other measures of driving
performance.
Researchers further noted that subjects under the influence of marijuana
- unlike alcohol - were aware of their impairment and attempted to
compensate for it by driving more cautiously.
The findings confirmed those of a preliminary TRL study released
approximately one-year ago.
Similar results were also reported this week by a South Australian team
at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology at the
University of Adelaide. Their study found that alcohol "overwhelmingly
plays the greatest role in road crashes ... [and] conversely, ...
marijuana has a negligible impact on culpability." An earlier Australian
review of 2,500 injured drivers also found that cannabis had "no
significant effect" on drivers' culpability in motor vehicle accidents.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said that the
results were unsurprising. "These results reaffirm that marijuana's
slight impairment on psychomotor skills generally falls within the range
of safety we accept for prescription medications and other legal,
potentially debilitating factors," he said.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul
Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.
skills than alcohol and is seldom a causal factor in automobile
accidents, according to the findings of two recent international studies.
The first, conducted by Britain's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL),
found that drivers under the influence of marijuana performed better
behind the wheel than those under the influence of alcohol. Researchers
reported that although pot adversely influenced subjects' ability to
accurately steer a car (so-called "tracking ability"), the drug failed to
affect volunteer's reaction time or any other measures of driving
performance.
Researchers further noted that subjects under the influence of marijuana
- unlike alcohol - were aware of their impairment and attempted to
compensate for it by driving more cautiously.
The findings confirmed those of a preliminary TRL study released
approximately one-year ago.
Similar results were also reported this week by a South Australian team
at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology at the
University of Adelaide. Their study found that alcohol "overwhelmingly
plays the greatest role in road crashes ... [and] conversely, ...
marijuana has a negligible impact on culpability." An earlier Australian
review of 2,500 injured drivers also found that cannabis had "no
significant effect" on drivers' culpability in motor vehicle accidents.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said that the
results were unsurprising. "These results reaffirm that marijuana's
slight impairment on psychomotor skills generally falls within the range
of safety we accept for prescription medications and other legal,
potentially debilitating factors," he said.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul
Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.
