Numerous American drivers now believe they can safely drive after marijuana use because the substance is becoming more accepted in states where it is legal. The impairment of driving skills through marijuana use affects both motor abilities and reaction times together with decision-making and coordination functions which determine driving safety. Our law firm at Dennis Hernandez Injury Attorneys observes firsthand how the influence of Marijuana in accidents create devastating effects on families and lives.
How Does Marijuana Affect Driving Ability?
THC acts as the psychoactive substance in marijuana which damages the brain regions that control motor coordination alongside attention functions and short-term memory. Scientific research demonstrates that marijuana consumption produces the following effects:
- The consumption of marijuana leads to slower reactions and decreased reflexes.
- The ability to perceive depth and understand spatial relationships suffers impairment.
- The consumption of marijuana leads to decreased attention span combined with reduced concentration abilities.
- The substance causes users to perceive time intervals incorrectly while their sense of speed also becomes distorted.
- The combination of marijuana with alcohol or other drugs leads to dangerous driving behaviors that include lane weaving and substandard judgment while driving.
- The consequences of marijuana use result in dangerous motor vehicle accidents that grow worse when marijuana is mixed with alcohol or other substances.
What Are the Legal Challenges of Proving Marijuana-Impaired Driving?
Unlike alcohol, for which breathalyzers and clear legal thresholds (e.g., 0.08% BAC) exist, proving a driver was impaired by marijuana is far more complex. This creates major problems when litigating such cases in criminal courts as well as civil courts.
What Makes It Difficult to Establish Legal Limits?
There exists no established legal threshold to determine impairment from alcohol consumption but THC lacks a universally recognized legal limit for impairment. State-imposed thresholds of 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood do not serve as reliable indicators of impairment.
The substance THC stays inside human bodies for several days to multiple weeks especially for people who use it regularly. The determination of impairment at the time of an accident becomes challenging because THC remains present in the body for extended periods.
Field testing methods for marijuana remain unreliable because there is no equivalent technology to the breathalyzer.
DREs along with field sobriety tests remain the primary methods police use for marijuana impairment assessment yet these approaches face consistent courtroom challenges.
How Does Metabolism Affect THC Impairment?
The way people metabolize THC produces varied reactions to the substance.
The way THC affects users depends on their individual metabolic patterns. Heavy users of marijuana may produce high THC levels yet remain unimpaired yet casual users can show significant impairment at lower THC concentrations.
Why Does This Matter for Personal Injury Claims?
When a defendant drives under marijuana influence their personal injury claim becomes stronger through evidence that supports punitive damage requests. Due to legal obstacles surrounding marijuana-related cases these cases need lawyers who specialize in understanding both scientific and legal aspects of cannabis crashes.
Get in touch with Dennis Hernandez Injury Attorneys right now if you or your family member has suffered an injury from someone suspected of marijuana impairment. Our legal experts will conduct thorough fact investigation and work with toxicology specialists to obtain the justice and compensation you need.
Recommended reading
- Alcohol and Your Personal Injury Case: The Civil Side of Drunk Driving
- Attorney Advice: What is Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM)?
- Auto Accident Attorney Advice – Accident Report Privilege
- Auto Accident Attorney Advice: Compulsory Medical Examinations
- Auto Accident Attorney Advice: What is The Florida Homestead Law, and How Can It Affect Me?
- Florida Statute 768.72 – Punitive Damages Law
