POT SMOKERS MAKE BETTER DRIVERS

Editor:

Driving while smoking pot should not be advised, but trying to turn
the issue into a political football does visibly display that
Conservatives really do pander to a lot of ignorance.

In regards to pot smokers as drivers, there have been very recent
studies conducted in Australia, by the University of Adelaide's
pharmacology department and Transport SA, which found that cannabis
was the only drug tested that decreased the relative risk of having an
accident.

If that that is not enough, readers should look to the recent studies
which have embarrassed the British government. The British Transport
Research Laboratory began with preconceptions, built primarily around
the legal status of this plant, reasoning that if it is illegal it
must be as intoxicating as alcohol.

What they found instead was, that amongst regular smokers, the
mellowing effects of cannabis made drivers more cautious and so less
likely to drive dangerously, and that they are less likely to cause
road accidents than drunk drivers or even drug-free drivers.

The fact is that, notwithstanding marijuana's legal status, these
studies have found that being under the influence of marijuana while
driving is less dangerous than driving while fatigued.

Far better results would be achieved by targeting drivers on cell
phones, those with inexperience and those who are too old to drive and
tired drivers.

The result of this legislation will be a profound misuse of police
resources targeting drivers who are in fact not impaired.

Chuck Beyer,

Port Alberni