As more and more states legalize marijuana, law enforcement officials continue to express concern about the risks of driving while drugged. Many of today’s potent cannabis products contain high levels of THC, the psychoactive component of the pot, that is known to impair reflexes and cognition and has led to an increase in traffic accidents in legal pot states. To teach motorists about the dangers of driving while high, police in Maryland hold “green labs” in which participants are given cannabis to get stoned and then administered sobriety tests—such as walking a straight line (or not)—and using a driving simulator to test their reactions times. It’s illegal to drive while impaired by marijuana, but there isn’t any widely accepted standard for assessing pot impairment, as there is with alcohol. Maryland allows medical cannabis and a vote on recreational is coming up in November. For the police, green labs are also an opportunity to see how to identify drivers who may be stoned and incapable of operating a vehicle safely. Some participants had trouble walking a straight line and focusing—both signs of pot use. Law enforcement departments in Seattle and Ohio have launched similar programs in an effort to maintain public safety amid easier access to pot.
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Rosenthal Center for AddictIon Studies