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Does cannabis make a difference to your reaction time?

SmC

SmC

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I was having a discussion about this in class when the teacher brought up the fact that maybe driving while taking cannabis/other drugs should be illegal because it might slow down your reaction time,i for one though have to disagree with that opinion because i have been in a situation where ive been a passenger in a car when someone is taking it and dont feel the slightest bit different.
I would just like to know your opinions on this..
 
when your stoned you're easily distracted. a car is not the best place to be stoned, for some people, some are more easily distracted as others. it depends. being sober is the best thing to do when your going to drive. ANY drug can have adverse effects on your reaction time, not only cannabis, your teacher is just trying to tell you that cannabis is baaad..:|
 
All studies I know of have shown that reaction time is reduced and the chance of mistakes or lapsing out of concentration are also increased.

I know it doesn't really feel that way - but the brain can be a deceptive thing. Still, I'd love to be proven wrong on this :)

--- G.
 
acually, i love to drive when i am stoned, i just zone out on the road completly, and i don't listen to people in the car or think about anything else, and i've also noticed i tend to go 10 miles slower than the speed limit without realizing it, if it's "bad" driving stoned in your opinion sorry, but in my case, i highly disagree
 
Blowmonkey said:
when your stoned you're easily distracted.
Click to expand...

word. reaction time is definately not the only thing you need while driving.

and...since no one has said it yet: DON'T FUCKING SMOKE AND DRIVE

If the legalization movement wants to have ANY chance in the US, this has to be a sticking point.
 
DuTcHxPaSSioN420 said:
i just zone out on the road completly
i tend to go 10 miles slower than the speed limit without realizing it
if it's "bad" driving stoned in your opinion sorry
Click to expand...

hrm, someone who is going slower than the rest of the cars and not paying attention completely...

definately not bad driving... :X
 
DuTcHxPaSSioN420,
Driving 10 MPH less is a good way to get pulled over. You might want to re-evaluate your drivings practices so you don't have to do so after a ticket/jail.



I hate to make such a nieve looking claim but dank actually helps my driving. Of course the level of stonedness comes into play but if I personally smoke 2 bowls of dank I find myself MORE attentive to my driving environment. By attentive I mean its more natural, I'm able check my blind spots w/o thinking about it, stay at the speed limit w/o looking, and most of all being to anticipate what others around me are going to do and assist them in doing that. Driving takes pretty much no brain power and I feel sorry for those who can't truly cruise. Drive safely and abide your limitations.

There are levels of simplicity and driving and being stoned are on the same level for me. Just makes driving 2nd nature
 
PlurredChemistry said:
hrm, someone who is going slower than the rest of the cars and not paying attention completely...

definately not bad driving... :X
Click to expand...

http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1775.html

http://www.answergurus.com/blog/archives/000040.html

http://www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus/driving.html

I dunno man, some studies seem to say the opposite. Reaction times do go down, so i make a policy to only drive roads/directions that I've driven sober and know reasonably well IF I do drive stoned. I mostly avoid driving unbelievably high, but sometimes I have to drive to or from a friends house, which isnt too hard considering roads are usually abandoned and its usually not more than 5 minutes on residential roads.
 
Dr. Funkenstien said:
DuTcHxPaSSioN420,
Driving 10 MPH less is a good way to get pulled over. You might want to re-evaluate your drivings practices so you don't have to do so after a ticket/jail.



I hate to make such a nieve looking claim but dank actually helps my driving. Of course the level of stonedness comes into play but if I personally smoke 2 bowls of dank I find myself MORE attentive to my driving environment. By attentive I mean its more natural, I'm able check my blind spots w/o thinking about it, stay at the speed limit w/o looking, and most of all being to anticipate what others around me are going to do and assist them in doing that. Driving takes pretty much no brain power and I feel sorry for those who can't truly cruise. Drive safely and abide your limitations.

There are levels of simplicity and driving and being stoned are on the same level for me. Just makes driving 2nd nature
Click to expand...

i agree with that. Its probably not a great idea to get behind the whell if your completely blasted but i dont find driving stoned to effect me significantly in a negative way, and sometimes i feel i am actually driving better, like it is more fluid and natural. I don't like driving stoned though if I have to go into an unfamiliar area....
 
yea, well where i live i am out on backroad in the mountains man, and there aren't any cops anywhere around here ever, so it's not a problem of not getting pulled over
 
PlurredChemistry said:
DON'T FUCKING SMOKE AND DRIVE

If the legalization movement wants to have ANY chance in the US, this has to be a sticking point.
Click to expand...

I agree totally.. and this means "don't get stoned and drive", not just "dont smoke while driving" =D
 
I've been smoking for 6 years and driving for 4 of those years. Half the time I am driving, I am 'under the influence' of marijuana, I guess. Not always stoned, but weed is definitely in my system and my head.

And guess what... I've never even been close to getting in an accident, I've never had a ticket, and I love driving all around. I react pretty quickly naturally, so I guess this might be a factor in why driving high has no negative effects on me (at all). I know all people can't drive stoned, and I DO agree with the statement that we need to stop driving under the influence if we want our laws passed.

When I drive sober, I tend to drive much, much faster, and possibly 'more dangerous'. I'll make stupid moves and if someone is a bad enough driver, a slight case of road rage might come into play :)
So I wont say i drive better high than sober (because I know people love to flame vs. comments like that), but I will say that Im less dangerous behind the wheel after a smoke.

If theres one thing I stick by though, its DONT DRINK AND DRIVE!
Fuck you alcohol!
 
I've noticed increased skill in videogames that require quick reactions after smoking. My friend can vow that I am better at Counter Stike while stoned. I don't think I have a quicker reaction time, but it isn't hindered by smoking. I drive a lot while high too and never had a problem with reactions. Only problem was once or twice I have zoned out and been caught staring off when an immediate stop was coming up, but I was able to hit the brakes in time. And one time I didn't notice a stop sign. Shit happens...
 
lol with video games, counter strike to be exact, when i am playing it and i hear people walking around, i usually get paranoid as a bitch and a trips me out bad, i jump out and just start shooting everywhere
 
So maybe it depends on the amount you take? Or whether your just a slow person to react to things naturally anyway?
And i know what my teacher was upto, i did everything in my power to tell her otherwise and she ended up agreeing with me.
 
Yes and No, depending where I am or what I am doing or how much I smoked or while I am ripped off my nuts or when the stone feelings has faded away..... it depends on everything, if I smoked and was stoned all the time, I could say yes, it can affect my reaction times in some cases.
 
What you guys need to realize is that there's other people on the road as well > it's not just you. It could also be that little kid walking down the street.

If I was ever in any marijuana legalizing committee I would make the punishment for driving under the influence higher > not as high as the one for alchol, but still, do you really need to be stoned all day?
Why don't you just wait half an hour or have a shower or something ...
 
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