Letters to the Editor

DRIVE SAFELY WITH CANNABIS

Chief Supt John O'Brien, of the Garda Traffic Policy Bureau, is quoted as
saying that: "People are driving while on cannabis. That is happening but
it would be impossible for us to quantify the level of the problem at the
moment." (The Examiner, January 8).

Why does Mr O'Brien assume that driving under the influence of cannabis is
a problem? I wonder if he is aware of the fact that cannabis does not
actually affect driving performance?

I must admit that it came as a surprise to me to read the relevant
research, but the indications are that cannabis actually makes people safer
drivers. This appears to be due to the fact that they are aware that they
are stoned and actually concentrate more on their driving.

This is in sharp contrast to people who have consumed a small amount of
alcohol, who do not actually realise that their performance may have been
affected.

I would refer Mr O'Brien to tests performed in Holland on behalf of the US
Dept of Transportation, in which subjects smoked as much as three times the
normal dose of cannabis. It was found that their driving skills suffered no
significant deterioration, even in subjects who had not smoked cannabis
before. In the case of a similar group, who were given alcohol instead of
cannabis, their driving skills were markedly affected for the worse.

"These (findings) support both the common belief that drivers become
overconfident after drinking alcohol (and) that they become more cautious
and self-critical after consuming (smoking) marijuana." (Crancer Study,
Washington Department of Motor Vehicles; US Department of Transportation,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT HS 808 078), Final
Report, November 1993)

The earlier US "Jamaican Study" of 1974, concluded that cannabis caused "no
impairment of physiological, sensory and perceptual performance, tests of
concept formation, abstracting ability, and cognitive style, and tests of
memory." (Goode, Erich. "Effects of Cannabis in Another Culture." Science
Magazine: July 1975.)

Cannabis is actually a safe drug. The only real danger from its use is due
to the very fact that it is illegal.

There is to be a vote in the European Parliament calling for the
legalisation of soft drugs. Such a change in the law would probably lead to
a reduction in the harm caused by these drugs, and I hope the vote is
successful.

Researchers are welcome at http://www.druglibrary.org - a website which
contains an extensive on-line collection of official drugs-related documents.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Cooke
Corcormick
Drumkeerin
Co Leitrim