# If you saw someone smoking pot while driving, would you do anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214 "2013-03-28T20:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/81 "2013-04-01T14:28:46Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > It’s always amusing when a bunch of fairly intelligent stoners meet up to talk about how the straights just _cannot understand_ how perfectly in control they are while stoned. Driving a car, taking care of their children, performing their jobs. All just perfect. No problem here. > > You want to stumble through your adulthood baked to the freakin’ gills, hey go for it. Go forth and party on, dudes. > > You get behind the wheel and you’ve become **MY PROBLEM** And you know what? Self-righteous drug abusers who are hurtling down the thruway at 68 mph don’t deserve a bleary-eyed friendly slap on the back. They deserve to have their licenses revoked and a nice short stay in jail. Unless they go and kill someone while under the influence. > > In which case they get the long haul. > > As a retired New York State EMT, my experiences are first-hand. Picking blood-spattered victims- alive and dead- out of wrecks as the direct result of pot and alcohol gave me a perspective that the party hardy stoners may hold in contempt but which is in fact more accurate and valid than their smoke-hazed justifications. \ Well-stated. And as a former EMT in Texas, I second the observation about picking up the pieces after a stoner caused a wreck. I’ve seen too damn many of them. It’s been 30+ years since I was an EMT and I still have the occasional bad dream. People who abuse drugs are fools. People who abuse drugs and get behind the wheel of a car should be tried for attempted murder. And if they kill someone, they should be tried and convicted for murder. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/82 "2013-04-01T14:56:18Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > \ > > Well-stated. And as a former EMT in Texas, I second the observation about picking up the pieces after a stoner caused a wreck. I’ve seen too damn many of them. It’s been 30+ years since I was an EMT and I still have the occasional bad dream. > > People who abuse drugs are fools. People who abuse drugs and get behind the wheel of a car should be tried for attempted murder. And if they kill someone, they should be tried and convicted for murder. Are you equating “abuse” and “use?” I don’t drive after smoking pot, and I would prefer others didn’t as well. I don’t abuse marijuana or alcohol, although I “use” both. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/83 "2013-04-01T16:28:24Z")
Years ago I did the most cruelest of acts towards a pot smoking driver. My buddy and I had just picked up fast food along our highway road trip and were traveling on the interstate. Buddy was driving and passing a car. The driver of the car we were passing was taking a toke as we were about to pass him. I had my buddy slow down to match the tokers speed so that I, the passenger, was even with the toking driver in the other car. I stared at him. He looked over at me. I smiled and then brought my super-double-cheeeseburger up into view and took a huge bite of it. I smiled back at him as I munched. He was now hopelessly caught in a most serious case of “The Munchies”. The look on his face when he realized what just happened to him was priceless. Poor bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/84 "2013-04-01T17:25:44Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > I know that driving high isn’t exactly ideal but my boyfriend does drive for hours every day, my baby is ALWAYS high and he’s a black dude with a nice car without a valid license, so…draw your own conclusions. Can I ask what your boyfriend does for a living? I’m assuming, given the fact that he “drives for hours every day” in a nice car that his occupation involves driving somehow? If this is so, how can he be gainfully employed without a valid drivers license? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/85 "2013-04-01T21:21:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Your boyfriend is stupid. Stupid like a fox. (Not defending him, he’s an impulsive asshole who makes a lot of poor decisions, but he’s not stupid.) > [@Ambivalid](#): > > Can I ask what your boyfriend does for a living? I’m assuming, given the fact that he “drives for hours every day” in a nice car that his occupation involves driving somehow? If this is so, how can he be gainfully employed without a valid drivers license? Two things, he works for a car place which does involve quite a bit of driving, and he coaches kids’ basketball, which involves some driving too. But most of his driving isn’t work-related, he’s just ALWAYS going places and takes a lot of road trips too. As for how he can drive as part of his job without a license, well, that’s about the very least of the things he shouldn’t be able to get away with but somehow does. He is a good driver though. He has better coordination high than I do sober ☹ ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/86 "2013-04-02T03:30:47Z")
To me, smoking pot would be about on par with smoking a cigarrette. It’s effects are minor. Most stoners I know react very similar. After you build up a tolerance to the stuff, it just doesn’t have much of an effect anymore. It’s almost pointless and I wonder why I even do it sometimes. No, I wouldn’t call the police. I don’t think pot is as dangerous as some make it out to be. It’s nowhere near on the same level as alcohol. Some people may have caused accidents while they were high, but I don’t think that’s enough evidence to suggest it is the main cause. Especially, when there is evidence that it is not the case (see post 55). Some people are just bad drivers in general. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/87 "2013-04-02T05:16:33Z")
nm, not funny. I really need to start using that “preview post” button. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/88 "2013-04-02T06:38:15Z")
Well, one time when that happened (Taco Bell drive-thru, true story) I bought a bag off the guy and had a nice weekend. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/89 "2013-04-02T10:58:46Z")
Speaking of distracted driving, how are y’all seeing what other drivers are doing? When I drive I’m alert to what is happening ahead of me, watching my rear view mirror, watching for deer, etc. a fair number of windows are tinted to some degree. While driving yesterday, I realized that _everybody_ could be puffing pipes around me and I wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/90 "2013-04-02T14:10:25Z")
I wouldn’t notice unless maybe if they were driving really stupid, then sometimes I’ll look to see who the idiot is and/or flip them the bird. Or if they have a really weird car or something then I’ll see who the weirdo is. But generally, nope, don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/91 "2013-04-02T19:58:02Z")
> [@](#): > > … had a female passenger. He pulled out when it was safe … So… no one’s gonna touch that? ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214/92 "2013-04-03T03:10:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Cartooniverse** : > As a retired New York State EMT, my experiences are first-hand. Picking blood-spattered victims- alive and dead- out of wrecks as the direct result of pot **and alcohol** gave me a perspective that the party hardy stoners may hold in contempt but which is in fact more accurate and valid than their smoke-hazed justifications. Bolding mine. So are these separate incidents or are they cases where the two are combined? If combined I’m not sure that says much about pot’s effect on driving. I kind of assume you are speaking of separate cases, but I’m not certain. In any case, I really don’t think low-level marijuana use is terribly impairing when it comes to driving. I don’t smoke myself and I’m not an advocate for marijuana or driving while stoned, but mildly stoned people in my experience seem to drive fine. Maybe not at the level of completely sober people, but better than a drunk person. Or, for that matter, a sleepy person. I’d say the behaviour described in the OP (assuming they were stopped at a light when the smoking occured) was not the safest driving situation you could wish for, but not egregiously so. My 2 cents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-saw-someone-smoking-pot-while-driving-would-you-do-anything/654214.md?page=4)