The federal government has released a draft of its planned drug concentration levels but admits the new rules provide no guidance on how much marijuana it would take to push a driver over the legal limit.
“It should be noted that THC is a more complex molecule than alcohol and the science is unable to provide general guidance to drivers about how much cannabis can be consumed before it is unsafe to drive or before the proposed levels would be exceeded,” an analysis statement released with the draft regulations said.
The government also says that it cannot provide drivers any guidance as to how long they should wait before driving, operating a boat, train or aircraft after consuming cannabis.
“In this context, the safest approach for anyone who chooses to consume cannabis is to not mix their consumption with driving,” the government said.
The lack of clarity worries Kyla Lee, a Vancouver-based criminal defence lawyer who specializes in impaired driving cases.
“That is incredibly troubling because, as the public, we have no knowledge of what it is we can and can’t do and what it is we should do.”
She said that simply saying: “Don’t use marijuana and drive,” isn’t good enough. Lee points to the differences in how each person metabolizes marijuana and how long traces of the drug can stay in someone’s system.
“You can never actually know if you’re complying or not complying with the law,” she said.
Read the interview with Kyla Lee on CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/drugged-driving-limits-thc-1.4354336