ALCOHOL SAID TO IMPAIR DRIVING MORE THAN CANNABIS

LONDON, - Motorists who smoke a cannabis joint
retain more control behind the wheel than those who drink a glass of
wine, a science magazine said on Wednesday.

Research from Britain's Transport Research Laboratory showed drivers
found it harder to maintain constant speed and road position after
drinking the equivalent of a glass of wine than after smoking a
spliff, New Scientist said.

Researchers who used a driving simulator to conduct tests on 15
volunteers found motorists on cannabis tended to drive cautiously,
aware of their intoxicated state. But drivers given a combination of
cannabis and alcohol performed worst of all.

British doctors last week called for the development of testing
devices to deter motorists from driving under the influence of drugs
including cannabis, citing a rise in the percentage of Britons killed
on the road who tested positive for the drug.

But medical experts recommended the British government reclassify
cannabis as a low-risk drug, sparking a debate over its
decriminalisation.