# Driving while on Pot

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-while-on-pot/342471>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 1, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-while-on-pot/342471 "2006-02-01T04:29:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-while-on-pot/342471/41 "2006-02-04T19:58:21Z")

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So I see. I’m slow, but I’m wiry. On the other hand, it is one of those articles that does seem to highlight the dangers of pot smoking and driving while more or less burying the point that while about the same number of people are driving impaired, over ten times as many drinkers are involved in fatal accidents as pot smokers.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-while-on-pot/342471/42 "2006-02-04T20:04:52Z")

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> [@CC](#):
>
> On the other hand, it is one of those articles that does seem to highlight the dangers of pot smoking and driving while more or less burying the point that while about the same number of people are driving impaired, over ten times as many drinkers are involved in fatal accidents as pot smokers.

Agreed, which is why I made it a point to mention the larger danger of alcohol myself in that post. I’d like to see the actual study itself, but I’ve been unable to locate it; not surprising, since scientific papers are not generally freely available to the public.

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**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-while-on-pot/342471/43 "2006-02-04T23:47:41Z")

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> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> If you are referring to this part
> 
> It’s just another statistic culled from the research. There’s nothing questionable about it.

I am referring to this:

> [@](#):
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> French researchers studied all drivers involved in fatal car crashes over a two-year period and found 7% tested positive for marijuana, including nearly 3% who tested positive for a combination of marijuana and alcohol.

If they included the 3% of Pot and Marijuana users in the 7% of marijuana users then their results will be skewed.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-while-on-pot/342471/44 "2006-02-04T23:54:54Z")

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> [@treis](#):
>
> If they included the 3% of Pot and Marijuana users in the 7% of marijuana users then their results will be skewed.

This is why I’d like to see the actual results of the study. It’s possible for them to have allowed for this; I can’t say for sure whether they did, or not. I would be surprised if they did not, but stranger things have happened.

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