The legalization of marijuana in Canada doesn't come into effect until next July but the Canada Safety Council are making driving while high the focus of this year's National Safe Driving Week which runs from today (December 1) through December 7th.  

The theme for the week is: Marijuana and Motoring: Green Doesn't Always Mean Go.  Lewis Smith, the Communications and Safety Coordinator for the Canada Safety Council says ever since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to de-criminalize marijuana, there's been a buzz around the country....and he apologizes for the pun.

Smith says the reason they're making it the focus of Safe Driving Week this year is because they want to address the issue before it becomes one.

"One of the key goals of the Canada Safety Council is prevention, rather than after the fact mitigation.  In this case, the more awareness we can raise for the fact that driving high is a problem, the more likely people are to think about it twice before smoking illegally and getting into the vehicle."

As the provinces begin to roll out their plans for the legalization of marijuana, a lot of the issues have revolved around keeping high drivers off the road.  Smith says the Safety Council view marijuana much the same as alcohol.

"It's not inherently bad in smaller doses, but the issues still remain.  The best solution is not to drive while smoking at all because marijuana can reduce reaction time, it can make the passage of time feel altered and both of those factors can come into play at high speeds and in fatalities."

Smith says the reaction time can be different when driving with marijuana in your system as opposed to driving after you've been drinking or if you've consumed both.  

"The reaction time for a driver who's smoked marijuana is generally slower than a driver who's drunk, whereas a user who's both on alcohol and marijuana has a higher tendency to drive at their usual speed but still retain that slower reaction time."

Smith says a lot of people will ask, 'is it better to drive after you've been drinking or after you've consumed marijuana.'  Smith says the answer is simple.  Don't do either.

"Our position is why risk either.  In this case, if a driver is considering it [driving while high] our recommendation would be if you're positively dead set on driving wait for one to six hours for the effects to wear off.  If you absolutely need to get somewhere in the interim, call a taxi.  It's not worth your life."

Smith says studies show the effects of marijuana typically last between one hour and six hours, depending on the amount and method of consumption.  If you're in doubt, err on the side of caution and wait the full six hours before driving.  

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