drug impaired driving Archives - Kyla Lee: Vancouver DUI Lawyer

Wait, Meth Doesn’t Impair Driving? A Call for Science-Based Drug Driving

June 17, 2024

When it comes to drug-impaired driving, it is important to understand the science behind how different substances impact driving abilities. Contrary to popular belief, not all drugs impair driving skills in the same way. Methamphetamine, for instance, does not impair driving-related psychomotor skills and, in some cases, may even improve them.

Our drug-impaired driving laws in Canada should seriously be reconsidered. As we are more than five years past the creation of drug-impaired driving per se limits, the science and the extremely low and limited number of these charges should dictate how we move forward from here.

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Wait, Meth Doesn’t Impair Driving? A Call for Science-Based Drug DrivingRead More »

Wait, Meth Doesn’t Impair Driving? A Call for Science-Based Drug Driving Read More »

How Long Before You Can Drive After Using Cannabis?

March 28, 2024

This is one of the most common questions I am asked from cannabis users who are afraid of cannabis-impaired driving charges. Most people want to know if there is a certain window they should wait from the time they last smoked before driving, so there is no sign of impairment.

And while the question has never had a good answer scientifically, given that the absorption and elimination rates of cannabis from the bloodstream are non-linear, the question has become even more difficult to answer as a result of a recent study.

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The Tenuous Link Between Cannabis Impairment and THC Levels in the Blood

March 25, 2024

For most people who are investigated for impaired driving by drugs, the case goes like this: the individuals are pulled over for some sort of a traffic violation. The officer forms a suspicion that they have a drug in their body, or they smell burnt cannabis, or the driver admits smoking pot a few hours earlier. The officer engages in some sobriety tests, including a saliva test that is supposed to correlate the amount of THC in your saliva to a blood THC concentration.

But what if I told you that even if THC is found in your blood, it might not accurately reflect how impaired you are?

The connection between how much THC is in your system and how impaired you are doesn’t follow a predictable pattern.

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The Tenuous Link Between Cannabis Impairment and THC Levels in the BloodRead More »

The Tenuous Link Between Cannabis Impairment and THC Levels in the Blood Read More »

Combined Alcohol and Cannabis Use on Driving

February 13, 2024

Is there really an increase in a crash risk when people consume cannabis before driving? New research suggests what many have already concluded in earlier research: cannabis does not increase the risk of a crash.

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Combined Alcohol and Cannabis Use on Driving Read More »

Does Cannabis Legalization Lead to More Road Deaths?

February 9, 2024

Does cannabis legalization actually lead to an increase in impaired driving or impaired-driving related deaths? Some recent studies have attempted to find a causal link between legalization and these events. However, the studies are flawed.

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Does Cannabis Legalization Lead to More Road Deaths?Read More »

Does Cannabis Legalization Lead to More Road Deaths? Read More »

Cannabis and Drug-Impaired Driving: DUI for Drugs or DUI for a Drug?

January 23, 2024

When cannabis products were legalized in Canada, a panic ensued among road safety and public safety groups alike: legalization would lead to an increase of cannabis-related impaired driving incidents.

And while statistically that has now been shown to be an unjustified hullabaloo about nothing, there is a definite trend of impaired driving involving cannabis that warrants more consideration.

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Cannabis and Drug-Impaired Driving: DUI for Drugs or DUI for a Drug?Read More »

Cannabis and Drug-Impaired Driving: DUI for Drugs or DUI for a Drug? Read More »

Impaired Driving Motives

November 21, 2023

A very interesting study was recently published that can help inform government and policy-makers on how to best prevent impaired driving.

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Impaired Driving MotivesRead More »

Impaired Driving Motives Read More »

Decrease in cannabis use and driving

December 31, 2020

Health Canada released the results of its annual Canadian Cannabis Survey (CSS). The survey, which is now in its third year, indicates a decrease in the prevalence of cannabis use prior to driving.

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Decrease in cannabis use and driving Read More »