In Florida, Amendment 2 on the November ballot would legalize marijuana for medicinal use. As the Tampa Bay Times reports, parental consent would be required for minors to use medical cannabis products. However, college students could generally obtain marijuana without consent with a legitimate medical reason as long as they are over 18.
While medical marijuana has numerous health benefits, driving while impaired by marijuana is unquestionably dangerous. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports, between 4 and 14 percent of drivers who are injured or killed in traffic accidents test positive for THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana. THC is the second most common substance found in the blood of impaired drivers, behind alcohol.
Unfortunately, while most young people know that it is very dangerous to drive while impaired by alcohol, many underestimate the dangers of driving after using cannabis products. Student accidents are common, and stoned drivers should be held legally liable to victims they injure if they cause a collision. Attorney David J. Glatthorn can help victims take legal action against impaired drivers.
Stoned Driving Increases the Risk of Student Accidents
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst provides plenty of reason for safety experts to be concerned that college students are in danger due to stoned drivers.
More than 640 incoming freshman were asked to participate in the study and 338 agreed to answer questions the researchers asked about drug and alcohol use. The majority of students admitted to using alcohol, drugs or both. Yet, there were significant discrepancies in the number of students who admitted to driving drunk versus admitted to driving stoned.
A total of 30 percent of men and 13 percent of women had used cannabis in the 30 days before answering the questions, compared with 67 percent of men and 64 percent of women who said that they had used alcohol. In addition, 23 percent of men and 9 percent of women had consumed both alcohol and cannabis products.
More students were using alcohol, but fewer students drove drunk. Only seven percent of students said that they had consumed alcohol and then operated their vehicles. By contrast, 44 percent of men and nine percent of women said that they had consumed cannabis products and driven afterward.
College students, and especially young men, were also more likely to get into the car with someone else who had used cannabis. A total of 51 percent of the male respondents and 35 percent of female respondents said that they had been a passenger in the car of someone who was stoned or who had consumed products with THC.
The outcome of the research indicates that students may not fully be understanding just how dangerous it is to drive stoned. The message has gotten across to students about not getting into the car with someone drunk, but more needs to be done to educate motorists about the risks of cannabis, especially if medical marijuana becomes legal in Florida.
Studies of more than 3,000 fatally injured drivers in Australia revealed that a driver with THC in his blood is much more likely to be at fault for causing a collision. Further, the higher the concentration of THC in the driver’s blood, the greater the chance that he is to blame for the wreck. College students who get stoned or who are in the car with someone who has used cannabis face significant risks.
If you or a loved one is injured in a traffic accident, visit http://www.davidglatthornlaw.com or contact David J. Glatthorn at 800-990-9394 to discuss your rights. Serving Palm Beach County and all of South Florida.