pronounced effects are on the way a
person thinks—and how a driver might
react to unexpected occurrences on
the road. “Things like memory and
concentration are affected. Attention,
decision-making, and higher-order
planning and execution of complex
tasks are also affected,” says Douglas
Beirness, senior research and policy
analyst with the Canadian Centre
on Substance Abuse. “In a driving
situation, that’s not going to work real
well for you.”
Some studies,
however, have looked
at the physical
dimension
of cannabis
impairment;
among other
things, they’ve
shown that
drivers under
the influence
of the drug are
more prone to
drifting across traffic
lanes. A 2012 study by
researchers at Dalhousie
University in Halifax found that
recent use of cannabis nearly doubles
a driver’s risk of being seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Research conducted in Washington
state, which made recreational cannabis
legal in 2012, has likewise been illum-
inating: In 2014, it was estimated
that the number of drivers with
THC in their bloodstream who were
involved in fatal accidents had nearly
doubled over the previous year,
suggesting that more people were
driving (and dying) with cannabis
in their bodies subsequent to the
drug’s legalization.
Cost of one-
day Planning
Ahead seminar,
plus $300 in
lost income
from mandatory
attendance
$615
Personal
transportation
costs due to licence
suspension
(e.g. taxi, bus,
personal driver)
$300
ENfoRcEmENt
oN thE Road
One Of the biggest changes to police
powers under Bill C-46 has more to do
with alcohol than cannabis. The law
gives police officers the ability to under-
take mandatory random breath screen-
ing—meaning an officer may demand
a breath sample from any driver they
lawfully stop, even if there’s no reason
to suspect the person behind the wheel
has consumed alcohol.
For cannabis and other
drugs, the bill also
authorizes police
to use special
screening
devices to
screen drivers
at roadside,
provided
they suspect
the driver has
recently used
drugs. But testing
for cannabis isn’t
as straightforward as
testing for alcohol.
Testing challenges
The cannabis test requires a sample of
saliva. Typically, an officer will rub an
oral swab over a driver’s gums, tongue
and inner cheeks. The swab is inserted
into a machine, which then analyzes
the saliva.
The feds are currently reviewing
two testing devices that, when used
together, ascertain the presence of a
drug in a person’s body. If approved,
they’ll be put into use when legaliza-
tion takes effect on October 17.
Until then, police officers continue
to rely on the Standardized Field »
Reinstatement
of licence
$250
Three-day
vehicle seizure,
including
tow hook-up
fee, towing
kilometre
charge and
storage fee
$197
RISKY
BUSINESS
The legalization
of cannabis may
not immediately
impact auto
insurance rates,
but motorists
already face major
consequences
for driving while
impaired—by
alcohol, cannabis
or any other drug
“Rates are already
affected by factors like
serious convictions, traffic
convictions and licence
suspensions,” says James
Setch, vice-president of
underwriting for AMA
Insurance. “Specific
convictions for impaired
driving while under the
influence of cannabis will
likely evolve, but they
will be enforced and will
impact an individual’s
insurance premium.”
Bear in mind, too, that
if reckless driving were
to increase overall,
so would insurance
claims—and then
insurance rates. It’s in
everyone’s best interest
to drive safe and sober.
TOTAL
$14,057
AMA InsIder
Fall 2018
31