Cannabis And Driving Is May's Traffic Safety Spotlight
It is something critics of legalization of cannabis were saying would happen in 2018 and now the statistics are in proving they were correct the number of people who allegedly drive high or with detectable THC in their system is increasing.
The number of people driving when it is illegal to do so after using cannabis has grown to the extent SGI is on a joint mission with Saskatchewan police agencies to help drivers understand the rules surrounding driving and the demon weed.
Cannabis related suspensions and impairment - according to Statistics Canada - is reported to be on the increase in Canada, a trend which is also happening in Saskatchewan.
In 2021 there were 523 administrative license suspensions for THC in a driver’s saliva or failed a roadside sobriety test whereas just two years earlier in 2019 there was 76 suspensions.
Unlike alcohol there is zero tolerance to having any detectable THC in the body while driving. Lower levels can lead to an administrative license suspension while a higher levels (confirmed by a blood test) can lead to criminal charges.
It is a message SGI wants to get out to drivers.
Although recreational cannabis is legal in Canada - SGI does not care if an individual uses it - but just like alcohol if a person then decides to get behind the wheel and is caught there are penalties which can occur.
At the present time there is no specific statistics as to the actual number of drivers caught for being impaired under the influence of cannabis SGI reports anecdotally police agencies are saying it is on the rise.
According to Statistics Canada the number of impaired driving offences is on the rise after cannabis was legalized. Statistics Canada like SGI does not break down impairment cases with a specific cannabis related statistic.
A 2019 study of younger drivers found most believed the risk of being in an accident was higher with alcohol than cannabis.
This something SGI wants to remind drivers that cannabis use and driving is not OK.
“A driver who has used cannabis won’t react or make decisions as quickly as a sober driver. Attention, judgment, motor skills, balance and co-ordination are all impacted,” SGI said in a statement.
The minimum administrative roadside penalty results for positive results is a three day driving suspension as well as the vehicle impounded for three days as well. The vehicle owner is responsible for any resulting tow fees and storage charges.
Additionally the driver must attend driver education courses plus the driver loses four demerit points under SGI’s safe driver program.
SGI would also like to make the following information common knowledge:
Consumption (smoking, vaping, eating or drinking) of cannabis products in a vehicle by a driver or passenger is prohibited.
When it comes to transporting cannabis, you can transport it in your vehicle from a place where you legally bought it to a place where you can legally consume it, or from one place of legal consumption to another.
Driving under the influence of cannabis is against the law even if you have a prescription for it.
The approved screening devices detect the presence of THC in saliva, not CBD.
As part of the monthly safety spotlight police will be looking for drivers exhibiting the potential signs of driving while impaired.
For more information about cannabis and driving click here to access SGI’s web-site.