Pubdate: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Copyright: 2003, West Partners Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294 Author: Marshall Jones DOPED UP DRIVERS FALLING UNDER SCOPE OF RCMP New drunk driving rules to increase punishments for 24-hour driving suspensions may also give police a tool for dealing with drivers who are high on marijuana. Drivers under the influence of any substance can be charged with impaired driving or a 24-hour suspension but it is much more difficult to do something But in B.C., drivers can be sanctioned with a 24-hour driving suspension and beginning Aug. 1 those suspensions were given a little more weight. Getting two or more suspension within two years will earn an additional two months suspension and an additional suspension will garner three more months. This replaces the existing policy of sending a warning letter to drivers with three 24-hour suspensions and a licence suspension after four times. It's designed for drunk drivers but it can also work for drugged drivers and that's what the Canada Safety Council is looking for. Emile Therien, president of the CSC, says if Canada is going to relax its law for simple possession and reclassify marijuana, it has to find a way to detect it in drivers and set a limit. "We want provincial and territorial governments to consider imposing administrative licence suspensions on drivers who have been using cannabis," Therien says. "Police with reason to believe a driver has been smoking pot should be able to suspend that driver's licence under provincial highway traffic safety acts." The change in policy won't help police find high drivers but it may give them a way to deal with suspects. Currently, police on our roads have few ways to determine if a driver is high--they have to smell it, see it or have the driver admit to it. There is no roadside screening device to detect it like alcohol. Police have the ability to charge someone with impaired driving if they have evidence of recent marijuana use such as a smoke-filled vehicle. Staff Sgt. Ron Danilowich, of the Kelowna RCMP traffic section, says if police have visual or complaint evidence of erratic driving and drugs are determined to be the cause, he can also issue a 24-hour suspension. He's not too worried about not having a screening device, he's certain they are on their way. "Somebody will invent one of those one of these days," he says. There are still some legal problems with the assumption that marijuana impairs driving. A case in Ontario was thrown out and there is little evidence to determine what dosage of marijuana can cause impairment. THC diminishes psychomotor skills and attention span. It reduces the ability to perform tracking tasks and at high doses, users drive less accurately and show difficult with steering, Therien says. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh