Driving While Stoned

Gern Blansten

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

brianlux

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

Gern Blansten

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

One of my old high school stoner buddies is a deputy sheriff in my home town.  

brianlux

Gern Blansten said:

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

One of my old high school stoner buddies is a deputy sheriff in my home town.  

So strange!

Gern Blansten

brianlux said:

Gern Blansten said:

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

One of my old high school stoner buddies is a deputy sheriff in my home town.  

So strange!

yeah we actually got busted vandalizing cars once too...we were only 16-17 though 

PJPOWER

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

Actually, THC only stays in your bloodstream for 3-4 hours after smoking so it is probably the most effective in finding out whether or not someone is currently high.  

Urine and Hair will register for much longer.

Edit:  After looking into it a bit more, the above is still true.  If a test is specifically looking for THC, it only stays in your bloodstream for a couple hours (hence why you are only “stoned” for a couple hours).  There is another metabolite, THC-COOH, that can be detected for longer (for 25 days or so), so if an employer is testing for that specifically they could bust you...but why wouldn’t they just use hair or urine at that point?

tempo_n_groove

oftenreading said:

Here's a link to FAQs about how the Canadian federal government has dealt with the issue of cannabis use and impairment

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/sidl-rlcfa/qa2-qr2.html

Oral fluid sampling (i.e. saliva) tests can be used at the roadside and were the first screening device. A breathalyzer is now also approved for roadside use. Both are for screening purposes only - if there is suspicion of impairment due to use of THC then a blood sample is the standard and so the individual has to be taken into custody to get that. THC is cleared from the blood and saliva fairly quickly after use, making it a much more accurate test of recent use. The excuse of "I smoked some really strong shit a few days ago" wouldn't fly.

This is very interesting.  It would suck here though if the cop "has reasonable suspicion" that you are impaired or feels you are borderline because now you are heading into the station.  It's like bullshit DUI checkpoints all over again.

Meltdown99

PJPOWER said:

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

Actually, THC only stays in your bloodstream for 3-4 hours after smoking so it is probably the most effective in finding out whether or not someone is currently high.  

Urine and Hair will register for much longer.

Edit:  After looking into it a bit more, the above is still true.  If a test is specifically looking for THC, it only stays in your bloodstream for a couple hours (hence why you are only “stoned” for a couple hours).  There is another metabolite, THC-COOH, that can be detected for longer (for 25 days or so), so if an employer is testing for that specifically they could bust you...but why wouldn’t they just use hair or urine at that point?

From the npr article....

"And it shocked everyone, including ourselves, that we could measure, in some of these individuals, THC in the blood for 30 days," says Marilyn Huestis, a toxicologist with the University of Maryland School of Medicine who recently retired from leading a lab at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

PJPOWER

Meltdown99 said:

PJPOWER said:

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

Actually, THC only stays in your bloodstream for 3-4 hours after smoking so it is probably the most effective in finding out whether or not someone is currently high.  

Urine and Hair will register for much longer.

Edit:  After looking into it a bit more, the above is still true.  If a test is specifically looking for THC, it only stays in your bloodstream for a couple hours (hence why you are only “stoned” for a couple hours).  There is another metabolite, THC-COOH, that can be detected for longer (for 25 days or so), so if an employer is testing for that specifically they could bust you...but why wouldn’t they just use hair or urine at that point?

From the npr article....

"And it shocked everyone, including ourselves, that we could measure, in some of these individuals, THC in the blood for 30 days," says Marilyn Huestis, a toxicologist with the University of Maryland School of Medicine who recently retired from leading a lab at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

I missed that article, but that is surprising if true.  All research that I am aware of otherwise says it is only found in the blood for a couple of hours (3 to 5).  Maybe as the tests got more efficient at detecting, they started locating it longer?

Meltdown99

oftenreading said:

Here's a link to FAQs about how the Canadian federal government has dealt with the issue of cannabis use and impairment

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/sidl-rlcfa/qa2-qr2.html

Oral fluid sampling (i.e. saliva) tests can be used at the roadside and were the first screening device. A breathalyzer is now also approved for roadside use. Both are for screening purposes only - if there is suspicion of impairment due to use of THC then a blood sample is the standard and so the individual has to be taken into custody to get that. THC is cleared from the blood and saliva fairly quickly after use, making it a much more accurate test of recent use. The excuse of "I smoked some really strong shit a few days ago" wouldn't fly.

From an npr article I posted...

"And it shocked everyone, including ourselves, that we could measure, in some of these individuals, THC in the blood for 30 days," says Marilyn Huestis, a toxicologist with the University of Maryland School of Medicine who recently retired from leading a lab at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

also our federal government has no control over how the laws are enforced...zilch.  

Remember thanks to archaic white people who were heavily lobbied to keep cannabis illegal...so we are still in the early stages of research...

These things take time.  

Meltdown99

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

The only employers here in Ontario that test are driving related jobs...

my ex wife drove truck and the only time she was ever tested was before she started a new job...

Most of our employers are not dicks and want people tested...

I do not agree that truckers are tested either.  As long as they are not high while driving....all is good.

Gern Blansten

An attorney told me once that if you ever get pulled over when you have been drinking to get out of the car (turn it off of course) and drink in front of the officer and refuse a breathalyzer.  Then when they take your blood you can argue that the alcohol in your blood was there because of what you drank after you were pulled over.

He was referring to drinking whiskey since you probably wouldn't have time to pound 3-4 beers before the cop smashed you with his baton.

I've been told that this strategy doesn't work but I don't know for sure.

Same with marijuana?  Get out and start toking it up before they test you.

F Me In The Brain

Gern Blansten said:

An attorney told me once that if you ever get pulled over when you have been drinking to get out of the car (turn it off of course) and drink in front of the officer and refuse a breathalyzer.  Then when they take your blood you can argue that the alcohol in your blood was there because of what you drank after you were pulled over.

He was referring to drinking whiskey since you probably wouldn't have time to pound 3-4 beers before the cop smashed you with his baton.

I've been told that this strategy doesn't work but I don't know for sure.

Same with marijuana?  Get out and start toking it up before they test you.

I would just say don't drink or drug & drive.

Perhaps the easiest answer could be the best one.

mcgruff10

This is the part of the new laws in New Jersey that I don't like:

"The third law decriminalizes marijuana and alcohol for those under 21. Instead of arresting or fining those caught with weed and booze, police must issue written warnings. The first goes only to the underage person, the second to a parent if they are under 18 and the third as a referral to community programs on drug education or treatment."

https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2021/02/nj-attorney-general-orders-end-to-weed-arrests-prosecutions-now-that-state-has-legalized-marijuana.html


So basically there is no drinking or smoking age anymore?

dankind

mcgruff10 said:

This is the part of the new laws in New Jersey that I don't like:

"The third law decriminalizes marijuana and alcohol for those under 21. Instead of arresting or fining those caught with weed and booze, police must issue written warnings. The first goes only to the underage person, the second to a parent if they are under 18 and the third as a referral to community programs on drug education or treatment."

https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2021/02/nj-attorney-general-orders-end-to-weed-arrests-prosecutions-now-that-state-has-legalized-marijuana.html


So basically there is no drinking or smoking age anymore?

Don’t worry, Scruffy. This is NJ’s chance to catch up to municipalities that don’t saddle their kids with criminal records just for being kids. Also, goes a long way toward anti-racism in your state. 

F Me In The Brain

mcgruff10 said:

This is the part of the new laws in New Jersey that I don't like:

"The third law decriminalizes marijuana and alcohol for those under 21. Instead of arresting or fining those caught with weed and booze, police must issue written warnings. The first goes only to the underage person, the second to a parent if they are under 18 and the third as a referral to community programs on drug education or treatment."

https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2021/02/nj-attorney-general-orders-end-to-weed-arrests-prosecutions-now-that-state-has-legalized-marijuana.html


So basically there is no drinking or smoking age anymore?

I also agree with the age being 18 but I didn't know they passed laws on that.  Old enough to join the military you should be old enough to drink or smoke a joint.

hedonist

PJPOWER said:

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

Actually, THC only stays in your bloodstream for 3-4 hours after smoking so it is probably the most effective in finding out whether or not someone is currently high.  

Urine and Hair will register for much longer.

Edit:  After looking into it a bit more, the above is still true.  If a test is specifically looking for THC, it only stays in your bloodstream for a couple hours (hence why you are only “stoned” for a couple hours).  There is another metabolite, THC-COOH, that can be detected for longer (for 25 days or so), so if an employer is testing for that specifically they could bust you...but why wouldn’t they just use hair or urine at that point?

I wonder if it being in your system from the day or so before even matters. That should be okay in states where it’s legal (as with alcohol, ie, acceptable to X level).

It just seems like a negligible amount to me, given how little is still known to justify standards for impairment.

Look at edibles; at 105 lbs., I can handle 30 or 40 mg of THC during the day with no problems, where someone twice my weight might get utterly wasted on 10. 

PJPOWER

hedonist said:

PJPOWER said:

brianlux said:

Good question.  THC stays in the blood for quite awhile which is why if a person is required to take a blood test for employment it is best not to smoke for something like a month.

Gern Blansten said:

Yeah I was always way too paranoid.

One time I was driving and my two buddies in the back seat were flicking their lighters and told me a copy was pulling me over.  The terror was absolutely real.

Oh those sob's 

True story- I once rode with a guy who was driving while we were both stoned.  He was a deputy sheriffs and we were on a freeway doing about 95 MPH.  I didn't know it was legal for a sheriff to drive that fast.  It was kind of scary. 

Actually, THC only stays in your bloodstream for 3-4 hours after smoking so it is probably the most effective in finding out whether or not someone is currently high.  

Urine and Hair will register for much longer.

Edit:  After looking into it a bit more, the above is still true.  If a test is specifically looking for THC, it only stays in your bloodstream for a couple hours (hence why you are only “stoned” for a couple hours).  There is another metabolite, THC-COOH, that can be detected for longer (for 25 days or so), so if an employer is testing for that specifically they could bust you...but why wouldn’t they just use hair or urine at that point?

I wonder if it being in your system from the day or so before even matters. That should be okay in states where it’s legal (as with alcohol, ie, acceptable to X level).

It just seems like a negligible amount to me, given how little is still known to justify standards for impairment.

Look at edibles; at 105 lbs., I can handle 30 or 40 mg of THC during the day with no problems, where someone twice my weight might get utterly wasted on 10. 

I agree, it shouldn’t matter.  The only factor should be whether or not the person was actually impaired or not.  Just another example of people’s freedom getting trampled on in the name of “safety”.

mace1229

Gern Blansten said:

An attorney told me once that if you ever get pulled over when you have been drinking to get out of the car (turn it off of course) and drink in front of the officer and refuse a breathalyzer.  Then when they take your blood you can argue that the alcohol in your blood was there because of what you drank after you were pulled over.

He was referring to drinking whiskey since you probably wouldn't have time to pound 3-4 beers before the cop smashed you with his baton.

I've been told that this strategy doesn't work but I don't know for sure.

Same with marijuana?  Get out and start toking it up before they test you.

I'm going off some guesses and assumptions here. But I'm guessing if a cop has enough reason to pull you over for suspicion of DUI, he probably has probable cause to prevent you from going into the trunk of your car and opening a bottle of whiskey and chug it. I don't really see a cop pulling someone over who is drunk, then just allowing them to walk to the trunk, open it, reach it without stopping them.  Just like if you refuse the test, he can't just let you go, he detains you until theres a court order to draw blood or something.
If you have an opened bottle within reach and just go for that, its probably going to hurt your case more than help you.
And the fact that a lawyer will tell you to just start drinking also tells you the desperation involved. Reports vary a lot, but the average DUI costs the driver is something like $20,000 when you factor in insurance going way up, legal fees, court costs, installing a breathalyzer, etc.

mcgruff10

F Me In The Brain said:

mcgruff10 said:

This is the part of the new laws in New Jersey that I don't like:

"The third law decriminalizes marijuana and alcohol for those under 21. Instead of arresting or fining those caught with weed and booze, police must issue written warnings. The first goes only to the underage person, the second to a parent if they are under 18 and the third as a referral to community programs on drug education or treatment."

https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2021/02/nj-attorney-general-orders-end-to-weed-arrests-prosecutions-now-that-state-has-legalized-marijuana.html


So basically there is no drinking or smoking age anymore?

I also agree with the age being 18 but I didn't know they passed laws on that.  Old enough to join the military you should be old enough to drink or smoke a joint.

Totally agree with that.  College just got a hell of a lot more fun. lol