I have personally experienced and have seen documented in numerous sources
(including pro-marijuana texts, not merely 'killer-weed' tracts) that the
use of marijuana temporarily slows reaction time, reduces short-term
memory efficiency, and generally interferes with skills that would seem to
be conducive to careful driving. I remember one particular occasion, in
fact, when I was sufficiently affected that I failed to maintain balance
enough to hold up my head, and slowly lowered my nose into the cup of
water I had been handed to stop my coughing (and which I had forgotten I
was holding until my nose got wet), at which point I laughed hysterically
for about ten minutes (I *think* it was about ten minutes, but since my
time sense was distorted, I can't be sure). Would anyone like to see me
try to drive a car in that condition? I sure wouldn't.
Obviously, I am not a rabid anti-marijuana lobbyist. I am in agreement
with XYZ that marijuana is one of the safest psychoactive substances
known (it can cause emphysema, and possibly lung cancer, if smoked
incessantly, but I know of no such medical effects for eaten forms). It is,
however, psychoactive. That's the point. And anything that distorts
perceptions and slows reaction time, as it does, is liable to cause
accidents if engaged in while driving. I include in this statement such
distracting conditions as sleep deprivation, deep mourning, and sex, none
of which should be combined with driving, for safety's sake.
Eva