Pubdate: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 Source: Reuters (Wire) Copyright: 2002 Reuters Limited Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) SPLIFF BEATS DRINK FOR DRIVERS LONDON (Reuters) - Motorists who smoke a cannabis joint retain more control behind the wheel than those who drink a glass of wine, British scientists have found. Research from Britain's Transport Research Laboratory showed drivers found it harder to maintain constant speed and road position after drinking the equivalent of a glass of wine than after smoking a spliff, the magazine New Scientist said on Wednesday. Researchers who used a driving simulator to conduct tests on 15 volunteers found motorists on cannabis tended to drive cautiously, aware of their intoxicated state. But drivers given a combination of cannabis and alcohol performed worst of all. British doctors last week called for the development of testing devices to deter motorists from driving under the influence of drugs including cannabis, citing a rise in the percentage of Britons killed on the road who tested positive for the drug. But medical experts recommended the British government reclassify cannabis as a low-risk drug, sparking a debate over its decriminalisation. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex