How Much Cannabis Can You Smoke Before Driving in Canada?
0Even as much as smoking one joint prior to sitting behind the wheel could get you fined in Canada. In order to avoid any trouble, you’d have to wait out at least a couple of hours so the effects wear off.
The weed smokers are definitely encouraged to respect this rule, since they can be fined up to $1000 if caught. Specifically, if the blood test shows positive for two to five nanograms per millilitre of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the first level of penalty is applied. Of course, the penalty is progressive: the higher the concentration of THC detected in the blood sample, the higher the penalty.
Second-time offenders, however, are subject to higher fines in general, and sometimes even jail time.
Earlier this year, a study by CCSA was released, which found that cannabis was to blame for 75 driving-related fatalities in Canada in 2012. Bear in mind these are only the cases which resulted in death; in 4,400 cases, the accidents resulted in an injury, and in around 7,800 of cases the result was property damage.
According to Brian Mason, the transportation minister, believes the drivers should wait at least 24 hours after smoking cannabis before they decide to drive. However, Doug Beirness, a senior research associate at CCSA, suggested that basing the cannabis regulation framework on alcohol regulations may not be the correct course of action.
For example, if you’re tested for driving under the influence of alcohol and the test shows .08 or higher, you can be criminally charged for your actions. To illustrate, this amount to around four drinks or more for most people (the weight and body type, of course, do influence this).
Beirness thinks it’s easy to say you can have a couple of drinks and stay under the limit, but you can say that one can’t have more than a joint. He also emphasizes that cannabis contains a much higher percentage of THC nowadays. It used to be around 5%, but these days, it’s more like 20%, which is quite a substantial increase.
When asked about the amount of hours one should wait after cannabis consumption, he pinpointed 4 hours to be the very minimum. However, in an ideal scenario, this should probably be closer to 8. However, factors such as in what way you smoked it, etc., are all variables that determine the ideal amount of hours you should wait.
But how does testing for THC work? The federal government stated there is a saliva-based screening test that’s still under development. After it becomes a tool the police force can use, this would be an easy way to screen a driver under a suspicion of drug use.
No test, however, can determine an individual’s impairment, and there’s another danger: if you think you can just wait 24 hours to guarantee a negative blood test for THC, you may want to think again, since not even waiting a whole day can guarantee a negative result.
According to Beirness, a chronic cannabis smoker could very well test positive for THC even after two weeks after quitting.
Hemp is one of the industrial forms of cannabis. The leaves of the plant have many uses. The most common of which are its medicinal properties found in the leaves. The uses and applications of the seeds and stalks are not as well known, but they can also be used to make several different products. Cannabis also commonly referred to as hemp has been used around the world for thousands of years and is considered a super food. The stalks, leaves and seeds, all have a range of properties suitable for use in the home, in the kitchen, health, medicine, beauty and industrial applications.
