Drivers stoned on marijuana test their driving skills

TheNewsthatmatters1

15 Feb 201305:15

Summary

TLDRIn an experiment to test the effects of marijuana on driving, three volunteers with varying usage habits smoked pot and drove a course monitored by a driving instructor. Initial tests showed different levels of impairment, with one volunteer already over the legal limit. As marijuana consumption increased, driving skills deteriorated, with one volunteer driving dangerously slow and another almost hitting a photographer. A drug recognition expert's evaluation confirmed that all would have been arrested for driving under the influence.

Takeaways

🚗 The experiment tested the driving skills of three volunteers under the influence of marijuana.
👩‍⚕️ Adi, a 27-year-old medical marijuana patient and heavy daily user, started the test three times over the legal limit.
🧑‍💼 Dylan, a 34-year-old weekend marijuana user, began with no detectable marijuana in his system.
👨‍🦳 Jeff, a 56-year-old occasional user, also started with no marijuana detected in his system.
🚬 Each volunteer smoked 0.3 grams of marijuana before retaking the driving course.
🚦 Adi, at seven times the legal limit, drove slowly and struck a traffic cone but was still driving okay.
🚨 Dylan, at five times the legal limit, drove fine initially but later had trouble remembering the course and nearly hit a photographer.
🛑 Jeff, at four times the legal limit, drove very slowly, which could attract police attention, and agreed he should not be on the road.
📉 With increasing marijuana intake, all volunteers showed signs of impairment and were evaluated by a drug recognition expert.
👮 All three volunteers exhibited issues in the 12-step evaluation and would have been arrested for driving under the influence.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the experiment conducted by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office?
-The purpose of the experiment was to test the basic driving skills of volunteers under the influence of marijuana.
Who was the driving instructor present during the experiment?
-Cascade driving-school instructor Mike Jackson was present, who had a brake on his side of the vehicle for safety.
How many volunteers participated in the experiment, and what were their marijuana usage habits?
-Three volunteers participated: Adi, a heavy daily user; Dylan, a weekend user; and Jeff, an occasional user.
What was Adi's initial THC level, and how did it compare to the legal limit?
-Adi's initial THC level was nearly 16 nanograms, which is three times the legal limit of 5 nanograms.
How did Adi perform during her initial driving test?
-Adi turned too sharply at a stop sign and clipped a camera, but the instructor noted her driving was generally fine.
What were the initial THC levels for Dylan and Jeff before they smoked marijuana during the experiment?
-Both Dylan and Jeff had no detectable marijuana in their systems initially.
How did the driving performance of the volunteers change after smoking 3/10 of a gram of marijuana?
-Adi drove slower and struck a traffic cone; Dylan drove fine but had 26 nanograms of THC; Jeff drove cautiously and slowly with 22 nanograms of THC.
What was the outcome after the volunteers smoked 9/10 of a gram of marijuana?
-Dylan had trouble remembering the course and required the instructor to grab the wheel; Jeff's driving became very slow, and he backed over a cone; Adi became more aggressive but made no major mistakes.
How did Adi's driving behavior change after smoking a total of 1.4 grams of marijuana?
-Adi drove with no restraint and backed into a cone within 30 seconds, indicating she would not be safe on a public road.
What was the conclusion of the experiment regarding the volunteers' driving capabilities?
-All three volunteers were deemed impaired and would have been arrested for driving under the influence based on a 12-step evaluation by a drug recognition expert.

Outlines

00:00

🚫 Impact of Marijuana on Driving Abilities

This paragraph describes an experiment conducted to assess the effects of marijuana on driving skills. Three volunteers with varying levels of marijuana usage were tested on a driving course set up by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office. The course was designed to evaluate basic driving skills, and each participant was accompanied by a driving instructor for safety. The first volunteer, Adi, was already over the legal limit for marijuana before the experiment began. Despite this, her driving was deemed fine by the instructor. The second volunteer, Dylan, had no detectable marijuana in his system initially, and the third volunteer, Jeff, also started with no detectable levels. After smoking marijuana, their driving abilities were retested, and it was observed that their performance deteriorated with increased consumption. Blood tests revealed that all volunteers were driving at levels significantly above the legal limit for marijuana, yet their driving was still considered acceptable by the instructor, although some minor mistakes were made.

05:00

🚨 Marijuana and Driving Under the Influence

The second paragraph focuses on the consequences of driving under the influence of marijuana. The volunteers were subjected to a 12-step evaluation by a drug recognition expert from the Thurston County Sheriff's Office after they had smoked a substantial amount of marijuana. The evaluation checked for signs of impairment, such as balance, heart rate, and blood pressure. All three volunteers exhibited issues during the evaluation, indicating that they were impaired. Jeff, for instance, was unable to find his nose with his fingertip. The paragraph concludes with the assertion that all three volunteers would have been arrested for driving under the influence based on their performance in the evaluation, highlighting the risks associated with marijuana use and driving.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Blueberry

Blueberry refers to a strain of marijuana. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as part of the experiment to observe the effects of marijuana on driving skills.

💡Trainwreck

Trainwreck is another strain of marijuana referenced in the video. Like Blueberry, it is used in the experiment to test its impact on the driving abilities of the participants.

💡Thurston County Sheriff's Office

The Thurston County Sheriff's Office is responsible for setting up the driving course and providing oversight for the experiment. Their involvement ensures the experiment adheres to legal and safety standards.

💡Driving Skills

Driving skills refer to the participants' ability to maneuver a vehicle safely and effectively. The video examines how marijuana use affects these skills by having volunteers drive through a test course.

💡Nanograms

Nanograms are a unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of marijuana in the bloodstream. The video mentions legal limits for driving under the influence, highlighting different participants' levels.

💡Drug Recognition Expert

A Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) is trained to identify signs of drug impairment in individuals. In the video, a DRE evaluates the participants to confirm their impairment from marijuana use.

💡Blood Test

Blood tests are used to measure the amount of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) in the participants' systems. These tests help determine their level of impairment during the driving experiment.

💡Driving Course

The driving course is a controlled environment set up by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office to test the driving abilities of participants under the influence of marijuana. It includes various obstacles and challenges.

💡Impairment

Impairment refers to the diminished ability to perform tasks, in this case, driving, due to the effects of marijuana. The video explores how different levels of marijuana consumption impair the participants' driving.

💡Marijuana Legal Limit

The marijuana legal limit is the threshold amount of THC in the bloodstream considered legally permissible for driving. In the video, this limit is set at five nanograms, and the participants' levels are compared against it.

Highlights

Three volunteers participated in the marijuana smoking lab, testing driving skills under the influence.

Driving instructor Mike Jackson was in the car with the volunteers for safety, equipped with a brake on his side.

Volunteer Adi, a heavy daily marijuana user, arrived with nearly 16 nanograms of THC in her system, well above the legal limit.

Adi clipped a camera while learning the course but was initially judged to be driving fine.

Volunteer Dylan, who uses pot on weekends, had no initial THC in his system and drove well initially.

Volunteer Jeff, an occasional user, also had no detectable THC at the start and drove cautiously but acceptably.

Volunteers smoked 0.3 grams of marijuana each and reported feeling 'buzzed' before taking another lap.

Adi drove slower than she should and hit a traffic cone after smoking, with THC levels rising to 36.7 nanograms.

Dylan drove fine after smoking, even with 26 nanograms of THC, but his driving deteriorated with more consumption.

Jeff's driving became overly cautious, which could draw police attention; he had 22 nanograms of THC in his system.

All volunteers continued smoking until they had consumed 0.9 grams of marijuana, significantly impairing their driving.

Dylan became confused and made several driving errors, requiring intervention from the instructor.

Jeff's driving worsened as he smoked more, eventually driving so slowly he was deemed unsafe.

Adi, after smoking 1.4 grams of marijuana, drove recklessly and hit a cone, indicating high impairment.

All volunteers showed clear signs of impairment in a 12-step evaluation and would have been arrested for DUI.