Marijuana Lingers For A Month; Zero-Tolerance DUI Would Ensnare 'Sober' Med Patients
There have been a few attempts to establish zero-tolerance DUI limits for weed smokers who get behind the wheel. The latest proposal by state Sen. Lou Correa would give you a DUI even if you had a trace of pot in your system.
The problem with that is virtually all regular medical marijuana patients would be subject to DUIs, because pot stays with your for weeks even if you're otherwise sober. That much was laid out ...
... in a recent study published in the journal Clinical Chemistry.
The research looked at 30 men who smoked weed daily. Despite cutting off the marijuana, two out of five remained positive for THC tests as many as 30 days after lighting up, according to author Marilyn A. Huestis of the National Institutes of Health.
According to a summary:
These results demonstrate, for the first time, that cannabinoids can be detected in blood of chronic daily cannabis smokers during a month of sustained abstinence.
This would make being a medical pot patient and a driver difficult if a zero-tolerance DUI law was passed in California.
The author, however, is all for cracking down on dope drivers, even if they haven't smoked in a month. The summary says the research ...
... suggests that establishment of 'per se' THC legislation might achieve a reduction in motor vehicle injuries and deaths. This same type of 'per se' alcohol legislation improved prosecution of drunk drivers and dramatically reduced alcohol-related deaths.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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