Cannabis 101

Risks while driving impaired by a drug

When you drive a vehicle, your brain needs to be alert and focused. Even small amounts of a drug can affect your ability to drive safely. Different drugs act on your brain in different ways, but almost all affect your:

attention
judgment
motor skills
reaction time
decision-making skills
balance and coordination

Serious accidents can easily happen when you drive while impaired by a drug. Many drivers who have collisions may have both drugs and alcohol in their system. Police can test drivers for alcohol-impairment using breath tests. Police across Canada trained as drug recognition experts have the tools and ability to determine if a person is impaired by drugs.

Age restrictions Did YOU KNOW?

No person may sell or provide cannabis to any person under the age of 18.

There are 2 criminal offences related to providing cannabis to youth, with maximum penalties of 14 years in jail:

giving or selling cannabis to youth
using a youth to commit a cannabis-related offence

Oral fluid Drug Screeners

Oral fluid drug screeners can be used by police to detect the presence of some drugs in oral fluid, including THC. These devices are fast, non-invasive, and accurate. The police can demand an oral fluid sample, if they reasonably suspect a drug is in a driver’s body. Reasonable suspicion that the driver has drugs in their body can be developed based on objective facts, such as:

red eyes
muscle tremors
agitation
abnormal speech patterns

If a driver tests positive on an oral fluid drug screener the positive result confirms the presence of the drug and, combined with other signs of impairment or drug use observed by the police at the roadside, may provide grounds for the investigation to proceed further by making a demand for a blood sample.

Other investigative techniques

Police can also demand a driver submit to a Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) or a Drug Recognition Expert Evaluation (DRE).

Despite popular myth, driving after using cannabis is not safer than driving after drinking alcohol. Cannabis impairs you differently than alcohol,
but it still impairs.

Teenagers, drugs and driving: advice for parents

Many car crashes involving teenagers are caused by inexperience and poor judgment. When these factors are combined with alcohol, cannabis or other drugs, the results can be tragic. According to the 2014-15 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey:

5% of students in grades 7 to 12 reported having driven a vehicle within 2 hours of cannabis use
15% of students in grades 7 to 12 reported being a passenger in a motor vehicle driven by someone who had used cannabis in the previous 2 hours

Parents play a vital role in teaching young people to drive responsibly. That means teaching them not to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. There is no safe limit for young drivers, since even one drink or a small amount of a drug can affect them.

Parents may wish to:

discuss how drugs and alcohol can impair driving ability, affect perceptions, and slow reaction times
remind teens that it is always illegal to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs
make it clear that using alcohol, cannabis or other drugs when driving is dangerous
discuss the dangers of getting into a car with a driver who has been drinking or using drugs
model safe driving behavior by never driving any vehicle impaired

Cannabis 101

Risks while driving impaired by a drug

Age restrictions Did YOU KNOW?

Oral fluid Drug Screeners

Other investigative techniques

Despite popular myth, driving after using cannabis is not safer than driving after drinking alcohol. Cannabis impairs you differently than alcohol,
but it still impairs.

Teenagers, drugs and driving: advice for parents

Interesting Infos

CONTACT US

Legal

Cannabis 101

Risks while driving impaired by a drug

Age restrictions Did YOU KNOW?

Oral fluid Drug Screeners

Other investigative techniques

Despite popular myth, driving after using cannabis is not safer than driving after drinking alcohol. Cannabis impairs you differently than alcohol,but it still impairs.

Teenagers, drugs and driving: advice for parents

Interesting Infos

CONTACT US

Legal

Despite popular myth, driving after using cannabis is not safer than driving after drinking alcohol. Cannabis impairs you differently than alcohol,
but it still impairs.