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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom