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Interesting Erowid Article on Driving Stoned

"Interestingly, three reports indicate that chronic cannabis smokers are less affected by alcohol on some measures than nonsmokers or infrequent smokers. As far back as 1970, the famous psychoactive drug researcher Dr. Reese Jones noticed that alcohol had less of an effect in heavy cannabis smokers.52 A study twenty years later showed that regular cannabis smokers show less impairment in peripheral signal detection when drunk than infrequent users do,53 and a later study still found that regular cannabis users given just alcohol show less decrease in tracking accuracy and lower dizziness ratings than infrequent users given the same amount of alcohol.54 It is unclear why this is. It is possible that there is "cross-tolerance" between cannabis and alcohol on a physiological level. It may also be that people who have learned to function in one altered state of consciousness can also function better in another."

bad ass.......
 
Ason Unique said:
I drove high once, and did fine, better than I usually do actually. It feels fun to drive a car high, I am certainly more cautious of what's around me and all.
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Yeah I've driven high once or twice but this was when I was coming down and it's not like I just smoked and got in the car or drove while smoking. I was fine driving but this does not mean that everyone who smokes herb will be.

If I were to use herb again I wouldn't drive on it and even when I smoked regularly and even daily driving was the last thing on my mind and it was something I never did except for once or twice.

I remember the first time I smoked high grade herb my dad's friend was driving and I was very stoned and basically tripping on the THC and I had no idea how he was even driving high at the time.
 
Most stoners I know have no qualms about driving high, and even enjoy it a lot. I try to limit my high driving to a minimum, much to my friends' frustrations sometimes. Driving high is something I know that I CAN do, but I know I'd rather NOT.

Why? Personally, once I get going it becomes clear to me that humans were never meant to go that fast! I become hyper-aware that I'm hurtling through space in a flimsy metal box that I have really limited control over. I wouldn't say I become a better driver, but I'm certainly a more cautious one. Driving a tiny stick-shift car like mine can get downright scary! =D

As far as SDLP and lane control, this is a primary concern of mine whenever I drive stoned. I've found that the challenge is actually to avoid frequent over-correcting rather than compensating for slower reaction time. Most people don't have great lane control when sober anyways; in my experience, as long as you're aware of how often you correct and you stay in the lane, you're fine. For example, if I'm going straight and I start to drift right and notice, I take a breath and slowly start to correct rather than immediately turning the wheel. This way you don't look like you're swerving even though your SDLP ability is impaired. Pretty basic stuff TBH but it took me a little while of smoking to figure this out.

Also, the whole surgery comparison is ridiculous. Driving =/= Surgery. They depend upon very different mental and physical skills and have very different learning curves.
 
Sega420 said:
maybe they knew you were high but are going to blackmail you to the feds
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haha i guess that's possible. i don't think they thought i smoked though. i'm pretty sure they knew i was a junkie. i never drove doped up though but that doesn't matter.

that'd be some fucked up shit though. i'd get pulled over on the way back from winston's school by an unmarked black ____(whatever the spooks drive). i'd probably never be seen again.
 
Coolio said:
Why don't you try reading the article then, before commenting.

If I was being operated on, I would have no problem if the doctor was stoned out of his gourd. He could be on meth or coke for all I care, as long as he wasn't sleep deprived from it.
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No man, I would get high and operate on myself! I learned how to do it from watching the movie Captain and Commander, the Far Side of the World. I can't sew too good though.
 
weekend addiction said:
I don't know what that article says but driving stoned is dangerous. A lot of these pro-pot sites try to act like it isn't. Think of it this way: If you were getting a new kidney, you probably wouldn't want the doctor to rip a 4 foot bong first would you? Driving a car is some serious shit and if you crash you could kill other people and ruin your life.
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Calm down...continue with your prescription of benzo's. Weak. weak.
 
HoneyRoastedPeanut said:
Most stoners I know have no qualms about driving high, and even enjoy it a lot. I try to limit my high driving to a minimum, much to my friends' frustrations sometimes. Driving high is something I know that I CAN do, but I know I'd rather NOT.

Why? Personally, once I get going it becomes clear to me that humans were never meant to go that fast! I become hyper-aware that I'm hurtling through space in a flimsy metal box that I have really limited control over. I wouldn't say I become a better driver, but I'm certainly a more cautious one. Driving a tiny stick-shift car like mine can get downright scary! =D

As far as SDLP and lane control, this is a primary concern of mine whenever I drive stoned. I've found that the challenge is actually to avoid frequent over-correcting rather than compensating for slower reaction time. Most people don't have great lane control when sober anyways; in my experience, as long as you're aware of how often you correct and you stay in the lane, you're fine. For example, if I'm going straight and I start to drift right and notice, I take a breath and slowly start to correct rather than immediately turning the wheel. This way you don't look like you're swerving even though your SDLP ability is impaired. Pretty basic stuff TBH but it took me a little while of smoking to figure this out.

Also, the whole surgery comparison is ridiculous. Driving =/= Surgery. They depend upon very different mental and physical skills and have very different learning curves.
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I definitely agree. Any times I've driven high, my biggest problem is lane control/over-correcting. I don't know why the road fucks with the stoned driver so bad but it certainly does to me. If I don't catch myself, I end up concentrating on the 50 ft of road ahead of me and playing the "stay between the lines game" rather than doing what I'm supposed to and looking farther down the road for hazards and changing road conditions, etc. If I can actively tell myself to do like I normally do (when driving sober), I find that I automatically stay pretty much in between the lines without having to think about it.

And I totally feel you on the "hurtling through space in a flimsy metal box". If blazed, I have a complete awareness of my own mortality and how quickly everything could go horribly wrong. Not that I freak out or am overly paranoid but goddamn...everything is going by SO FAST!!! Oh, and it doesn't help that I've totaled two cars already and I'm not even 20 yet haha :) . However, both times I was not under the influence of anything, just tired and took some chances that I ended up very much regretting.
 
Yeah work on that 50ft thing. You should always be looking at the horizon, no matter what you're on.
 
In no way in hell i would want a surgeon to operate on me if hes stoned on meth or weed. You need a sober mind. As for driving, being high while driving is not that bad i think. But it still holds a risk, compared to being sober.
 
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Great post Christopher Biggins!!

First of all, great post Christopher Biggins! Very informative, well thought out, and actually the first person to discuss the article, lol.

But I think this falls back to "who you are" and how you handle life. I consider myself a very good driver. I may not always do the speed limit but I am very aware of my surroundings. Some of my friends think they are "good drivers" but woah, I fucking hate driving with them. Its only a matter of time before they get pulled over or crash into another retarded driver.
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I pretty much agree with this, some people are just risky/stupid drivers to begin with regardless of their drug consumption.

Im gonna agree with you here. I hate driving in my car and smoking now. The paranoia level is just there. I will do it when I go back home from college just cause I cant blaze with my mom right there, but never at college. The more you smoke, the more you realize how dumb you were when you first started smoking. I did some dumb shit and am lucky to not be on prob or in jail. As you said, I wouldnt say I am a better driver at times, but sometimes you smoke the right amount of weed and your in the zone. Everything is just clicking for you. So in some aspects, you could be a better driver than if you were sober sometimes.
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lol I know I'm a much more careful driver when stoned because the last thing I want is to have to talk with a cop!! I actually got a DUI for driving stoned but I deserved it! It was one of my first times smoking and I was pretty wrecked and didn't have much experiencing with weed in general and even less with driving stoned. I think that people who are experienced with weed and driving while stoned would probably be nearly as safe as someone sober. I drive slower on average, keep more distance between myself and the driver in front of me and I honestly think that in small doses i can concentrate on the road better - but that is with years of experience. When I first started smoking the experience was a little too profound and unfamiliar to be compatible with an activity like driving.

I think a lot of times when the government does tests to rate how dangerous weed is they usually take a cannabis naive individual, get them stoned as fuck and throw them into a situation that they've never been in before. Obviously someone who has just gotten high for the first time may have problems doing math problems, answering questions, or driving safely. Compare a seasoned smokers results for similar questions and the results would likely indicate that familiarity with cannabis eliminates some of the "dangers" or negative effects.

Last fall, I made the mistake of being too open with my weed use and telling my doctor I drive high. Was probably gonna lose my license because he was gonna send a letter to the Dept of Transportation. Thats what inspired me to read so much about driving stoned. It is hard to talk to doctors about drugs. They just dont understand, they usually have 0 experience. Experience shits on anything you have read in book or journal. Had to take my first piss test and passed it in 18 days. Some people act like smoking and driving is the end of the world. I would bet that most people that are involved (causing the accident, not being unlucky and getting hit) in car crashes while impaired are bad drivers sober. Let alone combined with some drugs. Some people just suck at driving...
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Wow I can't believe your doctor tried to throw you under the bus like that 8o Still, in order to take your license away they would have to arrest you for a DUI or something and THEN test for cannabis use. For what reason did you have to take the piss test that you mentioned (it wasn't related to the doctor thing was it)?

Anyway, thanks for the well thought out response. Glad you thought it was a good read.
 
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