Dr. Phil discusses how impairing it is to drive while high. He also points out how people shouldn't mix prescription drugs with marijuana. All community members should be aware of the state of mind of someone who is high ALL DAY and driving. Is he a customer you want coming into your community?

Marijuana impaired drivers are more likely to kill pedestrians and bicyclists than alcohol impaired drivers.

Since 2015, drugged driving in the US surpassed drunk driving as the cause of fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.  The #1 drug in those crashes is marijuana. Both alcohol and marijuana are dangerous substances, but the public has a better understanding of the dangers of alcohol. From the study of FARS data, it was determined that drivers under the influence of marijuana are more likely to kill bicyclists and pedestrians than drivers under the influence of alcohol. While drunk drivers tend to be out late at night, marijuana-using drivers, who are not also using alcohol, drive during the day, especially during rush hour.  Everyone who has children walking to and from school or who lives in a pedestrian-friendly community like the South Bay should know this.

"Mother jogging with infant ran over at 8:30am in Venice CA by marijuana-impaired driver."Excerpt, "Police said they found drugs in the driver's system and marijuana in the car, which was also stolen, according to an incident report obtained by Fox News."

Do you know that California has a report drafted by a task force that was sent to the legislature with recommendations concerning marijuana legalization? The creation of this report and the task force were mandated by Prop 64 and Senate Bill 94.

The task force was comprised of over 60 people from state and local law enforcement, medical personnel, toxicology experts, legal personnel, University personnel involved in research, cannabis groups, people with road safety concerns (AAA, ACLU, NAACP, community organizations)

These individuals met 3-4 times a year for over 3 years from 2017-2020 and completed a report that was sent to the CA Governor and CA legislature in January 2021

The Impaired Driving Task Force made over 30 recommendations in the following areas: 

- data collection of DUIs crashes, legal outcomes, and analysis of statewide data in a common consistent repository

- recommendations for research into DUIs

- toxicologic recommendations (common procedures to follow samples to take, timing, reporting, analysis)

-cannabis consumer education on impairment - need for training of community

- law enforcement improvements to competency and training requirements for drug impairment recognition and documentationCannabis was approved in CA in 1996 for medical claims and 2016 for recreational use - yet NO improvements in driving safety laws surrounding marijuana-impaired driving have been implemented in over 25 years.

It is not possible to currently identify a valid impairment standard for marijuana or any other drug equivalent to the .08 percent BAC limit for alcohol. Exacerbating the problem is the matter of how to best create, implement and enforce the laws prohibiting impaired driving.

Pa. police chiefs: Don't legalize marijuana, consider the health and safety risks first


Where are the actions from the state over these recommendations? Where are the new laws and monitoring systems that were recommended?

Hear from Deputy John Howard and Corinne Gasper on the growing dangers of Marijuana DUI

Jennifer was killed by a marijuana-impaired driver on her way to work

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