Pubdate: Sat, 25 Jun 2016
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Page: A13
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network
Contact:  http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Jonathan Denis
Note: Jonathan Denis is a former Conservative MLA and Alberta 
minister of justice and solicitor general.

TIME TO ADDRESS DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING

Safety Issues Must Be Included As Part of Pot Legislation, Writes 
Jonathan Denis

Marijuana seems to be all the buzz this year.

The debate about whether or not to legalize pot is all but over. 
Recreational marijuana has already been legalized in five American 
jurisdictions - Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska and the District 
of Columbia - with more surely on the way.

Back home, Justin Trudeau's Liberals - with a majority government - 
are on track to follow suit in 2017.

I've long realized that, with my asthma, I'm probably in the minority 
in my generation who has never smoked pot.

I've also long concluded that, right or wrong, legal or not, the 
reality is that marijuana is and will continue to be widely used.

So with marijuana about to be legalized in Canada, what does this 
matter? There's one issue that has not received much discussion - 
that of ' high' or 'drugged' driving.

The dangers of drinking and driving are well established and in 
recent years, many provinces - including Alberta - have brought in 
legislation that imposes stiff penalties on those who drive after 
more than a few drinks and endanger the lives and liberty of innocent 
people on the road.

But what about drivers who have taken a toke or two before getting 
behind the wheel? Many will recall the famous Cheech and Chong line 
after smoking pot - "How's my driving, man?" - when the car is parked.

Much like alcohol, marijuana can impair judgment, motor co-ordination 
and reaction time, all of which affect driving ability.

And much like drunk driving, drugged driving is currently a crime 
that is 100-percent preventable. Many of the same sound 
recommendations surrounding alcohol apply tomarijuana - including 
simply planning ahead for a ride home.

Even though drugged driving is a crime, there are some disturbing 
statistics where pot has been legalized: after Washington state 
legalized marijuana, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes 
who had pot in their systems increased by 48 per cent.

So what can we learn from the experience with legalizing marijuana in 
the United States for the time when pot becomes legal in Canada in 2017?

At present, if a police officer pulls someone over and has reasonable 
and probable grounds to suspect the driver has been drinking, there 
are well-known devices that can determine how much alcohol is in the 
driver's system via breath. If their blood-alcohol level is above 
0.05, the car can be seized and the driver's licence suspended. If 
the driver's blood-alcohol level is over 0.08, police can also lay a 
criminal charge.

There is no such established limit for marijuana in a driver's 
system, however. As part of its implementation of legalizing 
marijuana, the federal government needs to determine what level of 
impairment - if any - is acceptable to still drive safely, and they 
must pass legislation accordingly.

A separate issue arises in how to detect whether a driver has 
marijuana in his or her system. There is a device that tests the 
saliva of a driver and can determine if marijuana (and other drugs) 
are present. This device is already in use in Europe and Australia 
and has had positive results for detection and enforcement of drugged driving.

The federal government also must test and legalize this device for 
use by police officers in Canada. (Much like people who are charged 
with driving under the influence of alcohol, individuals charged with 
drugged driving would, of course, have the right to defend the 
charges in court.)

These recommendations should be on federal Justice Minister Judy 
Wilson-Raybould's radar as part of the same legislation when 
marijuana is legalized.

It's time to be proactive and address drugged driving ahead of time 
before it becomes a major issue.

Both the safety and liberty of all of us on the road count on it.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom