Does Legalization of Marijuana Promote Use while Driving - Coursework Example

Does Legalization of Marijuana Promote Use while Driving? al Affiliation Outline ………………………………………………………………………. 3 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. 4 Effect of Cannabis on the Nervous System…………………………………… 4 Effects of Marijuana on Driving………………………………………………. 5 Prevalence of Driving Under the influence of Marijuana…………………… 7 Effects of Marijuana on Psychomotor Skills…………………………………. 8 Effects of Legalization of Cannabis to the Society…………………………… 9 How Legalization of Cannabis has been Promoted and Popularized………. 10 How the Legalization will affect Driving……………………………………… 10 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………. 11 References……………………………………………………………………….. 12 Abstract Legalization of cannabis has been a trending issue due to its sensitivity and the legal and ethical issues related to it. Recently the laws in Washington state and Colorado State passed for the legalizing of cannabis. With that start it seems more states are on the way to legalizing it and so arises the concept of its effect to users. This paper will address the topic whether legalization of Cannabis promote using while driving. The legalization of cannabis could lead to the emergence of new laws either to counter its usage or to regulate its usage. Cannabis use while driving can have far reaching effects to the user and the paper will address whether the positive effects surpass the negative ones and therefore upholding its legalization. Driving under the influence of cannabis has been supported by a study done in 2012 and published in the journal of Psychopharmacology. The study showed that only 30% of the people under the influence of THC which is the powerful ingredient in Marijuana failed the sobriety driving test where as 88% of the drivers under the influence of alcohol failed the test. This supports the argument that using cannabis while driving is safer than the use of alcohol in the same (Koerth-Baker, 2014). This study and others in the same field may be the lead to the promotion of cannabis use while driving and hence promoting its legalization in more states. Keywords: Cannabis, legalization, driving Introduction Marijuana Cannabis is a green or often gray mixture of the shredded and dried leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant (Adams & Martin, 1995). The active ingredient responsible for affecting psychoactive effects in cannabis is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Huestis, Henningfield & Cone, 1992). Hashish also a product of the plant consists of resinous secretions of the Cannabis sativa plant (Huestis, Henningfield & Cone, 1992). It has been difficult to classify the drug as either a stimulant, sedative or a hallucinogen due to its unique effects on the users. According to Mason & McBay, 1985, marijuana is used for the treatment of anorexia which is associated with weight loss seen in patients with AIDS (Mason & McBay, 1985). It is also used in the treatment of mild nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy (Mason & McBay, 1985). Marijuana has been classified as the most widely used illicit drug worldwide mainly due to its availability and accessibility. Effect of Cannabis on the Nervous System Tetrahydrocannabinol binds to cannabinoid receptors and interferes with important endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter systems (Huestis, 2002). The distribution of these cannabinoid receptors is almost the same in the brain areas which are responsible for physiological, cognitive and psychomotor actions in the body (Huestis, 2002). Due to the binding, there is a significant alteration in the normal body performance (Huestis, 2002). The most affected ones include motor behavior, cognition, and memory. The peak of using marijuana comes immediately after using it (Huestis, 2002). Tetrahydrocannabinol is metabolized via cytochrome P450 2C9, 2C11 and 3A isoenzymes (Pope & Yurgelun-Todd, 1996). Marijuana is an addictive drug and addiction comes after only a few does. After use of marijuana the short term effects include distorted perception among other effects. Our concern will mainly be on distorted perception on its effect to drivers. Effects of Marijuana on Driving The use of Marijuana while driving has been a rising concern especially due to the legalization of cannabis in Washington State and Colorado State. The evidence of whether Marijuana can be held culpable of the in-road accidents has left minimal or no links unlike other drugs like alcohol which have far reaching consequences and have been linked to many in-road accidents (US Department of Transport, 2000). Cannabis has been associated with negligible psychomotor cells impairment. However the impairment has not been proven to be long lasting nor severe to a point of raising much concern about its usage. What is more interesting is that the impairment caused by marijuana usage has not been found significantly being the cause of the in-road accidents which have been recorded in the past. Marinol is a drug that contains small percentages of marijuana. During administration the user is advisenot to drive until it has been found out that the patient can be able to tolerate the drug’s effects (Huestis, 2002). According to a review by the UK Transport Department in 2000 to establish the causes of the road accidents, a review of 7 934 drivers was done (UK Transport Department, 2000). The study to check crash culpability that used the data for the 7 934 drivers failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely more likely than drug-free drivers (UK Transport Department, 2000). The result was attributed to the fact that the cannabis users are aware of the effects of it and so they act accordingly by either slowing down or focusing more when they approach a station where a response will be needed (UK Transport Department, 2000). The study done on drivers under the influence of alcohol produced the opposite of the results. The studies showed that the more intoxicated a driver was with alcohol the more the risk was of causing or getting involved in a road accident (UK Transport Department, 2000). The results obtained from the studies have prompted further research to explore the impact of cannabis on psychomotor skills and how it affects the actual driving performance ((UK Transport Department, 2000). The research done consists of driving simulator studies, on-road performance tests and studies, and also a summary of reviews done on the existing evidence (UK Transport Department, 2000). The results that are obtained show consistency with marijuana being responsible for a measurable yet mild effect on psychomotor skills (Transport Department, 2000). This however does not play a significant role enough to be attributed heavily on the vehicle crashes like alcohol (UK Transport Department, 2000). Prevalence of Driving Under the influence of Marijuana It has been noted that many people have been driving while under the influence of cannabis. According to one study done in 2007 by the Australian National Drug Strategy household Survey (NDSHS), it was established that 2.9% of Australians whose age ranges from 14 years have driven a motor vehicle while under the influence of illicit drugs in the12 months that the study had been conducted (Arcuri, 2007). This showed a significant decrease from the reported 3.9% in 2001 and 3.3% in 2004. In the US a similar survey showed corresponding results with 4.4% of the people interviewed reporting to have driven under the influence of the drugs in 2004 and 4.3% reporting to have done the same in 2005 (Arcuri, 2007).In relation to the use of Marijuana while driving the results from the various studies done were as follows. According to three independent Canadian studies on the use of marijuana while driving for the 12 months that had passed showed that 1.5-2.9% of those interviewed had driven under the influence of marijuana (Arcuri, 2007). Another review done by the European Mo9nitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) done on drivers to test the presence or the use of marijuana while driving showed that between 0.3-7.4 percent of the drivers had used it while driving (Arcuri, 2007). The study was done across seven roadside surveys conducted between 1997 and 2007 in Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and the UK (Arcuri, 2007). The tested samples included urine, blood or saliva (Arcuri, 2007). From the drivers tested Australia produced the least number of drivers who had driven under the influence of marijuana. A study done in Scotland on 537 drivers showed that 15% of the drivers aged between 17 and 39 years reported having driven under the influence of cannabis in the past 12 months while 3% of those aged above 40 years reported to have used it in the same period (Arcuri, 2007).The rates wre highest for the students who have licenses shooting to a peak of up to 19.7%. Different independent British studies done on the youthful people, 59% of those tested from night clubs reported positive and 40% of the university students tested positive for the same (Arcuri, 2007). The time lapse from usage was varying with 43.1%-82% of those in the study claiming to have driven immediately after using marijuana. Effects of Marijuana on Psychomotor Skills According to a review done by Ross, Darke and Kelly, the use of marijuana while driving detected that the users had impairments in tracking, attention, reaction time, volatile memory, hand-eye coordination, vigilance, time and distance perception which is responsible for execution of the actions to take on the road, decision making and overall concentration (Arcuri, 2007, Darke, Kelly & Ross, 2004).). The same review done concluded that the effects of alcohol alone are higher than those of marijuana alone while those effects of using alcohol and marijuana were rated the highest. However the laboratory studies done by Kelly and colleagues failed to correlate with those on the field reviews (Darke, Kelly & Ross, 2004). This was attributed to the fact that the users of marijuana are aware of their deficiency while on the road and so they will act to compensate for that as they drive to compensate for it (Darke, Kelly & Ross, 2004). The studies done have however showed limitations in the way they have linked the use of marijuana to the accidents occurring on the roads. They showed significant inconsistencies and variations which make it hard for them to be used (Arcuri, 2007). Despite the inconsistencies more studies are underway to establish how marijuana affects the psychomotor skills and its culpability in accident involvement. This therefore calls for more studies especially with the legalization of cannabis in the States of Washington and Colorado. More States are bound to legalize it and so with its alleged effect on drivers more concerns have been raised. Effects of Legalization of Cannabis to the Society The legalization of Marijuana has been called for by many people. Over120 German professors of criminal law started an initiative to legalize marijuana (Bleiker, 2014). From a study done in Germany, it was established that about 3 million Germans smoke Marijuana regularly (Bleiker, 2014). Its use is not punishable in Germany which has made it to be used widely without the fear of getting punished. However, it is punishable in Germany to grow and sell marijuana (Bleiker, 2014). The legal experts have however questioned the purpose of the prosecution and whether it serves any purpose. The legalization of marijuana has made it more popular and more people have started using it. The involvement of marijuana with criminal activities has been highly condemned due to the wide use of the drug among the people (Bleiker, 2014). In the United States, the States of Washington and Colorado legalized its use and the law was received well among the people. Cannabis has been supported over other drugs while driving as its effect has not been linked to the in-road accidents seen in alcohol. The laws have really changed the society both in their perception and the use of the drug. The use of cannabis has increased in the society with more coffee shops having been opened. Coffee shops had been illegal in the past and the drug could only be got from black market retailers. However with the drug now having been made legal the coffee shops have risen in number and the perception that cannabis was associated with the illegal and unlawful people has been discredited. Among those who top the list of users include the youthful people below the age of 40 years and students especially those in the university. Legalizing marijuana causes no increase in crime (Ferner, 2014). A study done by experts from the University of Dallas has established that in fact medically administered cannabis reduce some violent crimes which include murder (Ferner, 2014). The use of cannabis while driving has been promoted by the fact that unlike other drugs like alcohol it does not have effects which are directly associated with the in-road accidents. How Legalization of Cannabis has been Promoted and Popularized Due to the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado States, New Jersey has also been on the list to legalize it. On March 10, a bill was introduced that calls for a referendum asking voters to legalize the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana (Lee & Gelles, 2014). The referendum is likely to pass because of the popularity the issue has received especially from the media and the people in general. The government has been called to put the effective measures to curb gangsters but not to stop marijuana from sale. There has been much speculation about the issue but now with the legalization cannabis use will become more common than before. How the Legalization will affect Driving The legalization of marijuana will definitely affect the new trends in driving. Many people have been using marijuana while hiding but with the legalization and with little effect being associated with the use of it and the occurrence of in-road accidents. More people prefer using marijuana to alcohol because its effects are not as bad. The legalization will greatly change the people’s perception as it was associated to ‘bad people’. Now with its legalization and availability it will be classified as a better drug. More people prefer to take it while driving to be able to concentrate more or to kill the boredom. Conclusion The legalization of marijuana has been a trending topic mainly due to the ethical and social concerns that are affected by its legalization. The popularity of the issue has mounted pressure on many states and with Washington and Colorado already having legalized it many more is to follow suit. The effects of marijuana on driving have been a serious concern with many studies having been conducted to establish its effect on the psychomotor activities of the body. The coordination between the eyes and hands and legs and the speed of execution of actions in the road have been closely studied from the people who use marijuana to show whether it poses as a risk or culpable for the accidents happening. However many of these studies have shown little link and so marijuana has become more popular when compared to other drugs. References Adams, I. B. & Martin, B. R. (1995). Cannabis: Pharmacology and Toxicology in Plants and Animals. n.a. Arcuri, A. (2013). Marijuana and Driving –Research Brief. http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/driving.htm Darke, S., Kelly, E., & Ross, J. (2004). Drug Driving Among among Injecting Drug Users in Sydney, Australia: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Risk Perceptions. Addiction (99). Use in College Students. n.a. Koerth-Baker, M. (2014, 17th February). Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana. The New York Times. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/health/driving-under-the-influence-of-marijuana.html?referrer= Huestis, M. A., (2002). Cannabis (Marijuana): Effects on Human Performance and Behavior. Forensic Science Revision. n.a. Yurgelun-Todd, D. & Pope, H. G. (1996). The Residual Cognitive Effects of Heavy Marijuana Read More