I agree. Its really hard to drive when I am stoned. Its way easier to drive drunk.

The possible penalty difference, between stoned and drunk driving at present, would lead me to believe it's better to crash, after passing out drunk behind the wheel, than, pulled over for a faulty license plate light and somehow not measuring up to ... ... what???

I'm more afraid of aggressive driver's, who, just because they may have not drank in the last 12 hours and would test clean, ... they are certainly just as much a threat, just as someone on their cell phone, or eating, talking, sleepy, angry ... sure way to lose your edge ...

When will we stop paying for this nonsense ... and get real?

What the hell is this article about? Starts out Vienna did a study about US drivers, where about one in six drivers are on either a legal or illegal drug, then demonizes weed for a few sentences and then ends up about the heroin trade in Russia. What the hell?

Drugged driving’ a growing threat

And yet another unending revenue stream for the State as well.

This is just the beginning salvo in the anti drug-legalization people's response to the ever-growing pro drug-legalization attitudes. They are going to fight, tooth and nail, to keep it illegal. Expect more false claims to start circulating, important information left out of reports and law enforcement arresting more and more people they suspect of drug use while driving, even if they are not. Being arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs is still a great PR statistic even if they never get a conviction.

To get it legalized, everyone who wants to get high, should never, ever get behind the wheel of a car. Don't give the anti's ammunition.

Hey, most of those people are under the influence of prescription drugs. How are they going to stop this problem?

Wow, this is incredibly dumb. They haven't made any difference on drunk driving, that still kills more people every year. These law enforcement types are just now admitting, "hey, yeah, there is a serious problem with narcotics". Like little Johnny's car wreck- now they realize the 3 oxycotin he took along with 3 beers might have had something to do with it.

Nothing has changed except law enforcement is admitting the obvious- they are behind the times.

the cops need to hang out by the local Methadone clinic like thay do the bars at closing time. these people dose up at the clinic then drive off.

Excellent idea!

and they really need to include 'legal' Rx drugs as well!!!!!

Oh great. That is soo not what this country needs. More laws, fines, probation and incarcerations. Pay more cops, prison guards and social workers tax payer money. How bout taking that money and putting it into some kind of actual early awareness and treatment program? Do something revolutionary and new, setting the example for the rest of the world instead of comparing statistics on an old and failing system. Whatever we do, don't hold big pharma and med heavy health institutions accountable for getting people hooked into the legal drug trade. Heck, why not just tax the heck out of the Seniors drug habits and subsidize the planet?

If someone is too impared to drive after consuming marijuana in whatever method, they could at least share. Too stoned to drive, BS!!!

I have time to sit and read as well as comment on this article because I am recovering from surgery on injuries I received when I was severly injured in a car accident caused by an impaired driver. I hope they throw the book at the driver.

I was lucky, at least I am still alive and recover but this is a scary issue. It's not just illegal drugs but even something like NyQuil can be just as dangerous when it comes to driving.

I think they ought to concentrate on the more serious problem of people driving while talking on their freaking cell phones and people who won't yield the right of way to drivers while they are in the fast lane going 50-55 and causing people to go around them and sometimes cause accidents. If theses idiots would get out of the fast lane there would be fewer traffic incidents and fewer road rage incidents. This is a texas law that you must yield the right of way while in the fast lane and are going slower than traffic. In other states they are already ticketing those drivers for faillure to do so. It seems Texas is always the last to follow suite and meanwhile they always say they stop speeders for public safety. (yeah right!) studies have shown that more accidents are caused by failure to yield the right of way in the fast lane. And what about the idiots that drive commercial rigs with little or no sleep to make more money. A sleepy driver is more dangerous than a drunk driver and what about all the safety violations of the big rigs which they drive every day without correcting those issues, where is the public safety there? I think they should concentrate on the current issues rather than trying to create a false sense of commited just for political gains which in my opinion are exactly what they are trying to do......

You are just now figuring this out?? These drugged SOB's have been on America's roads for decades! These people are as dangerous as drunks, if not more! The penalties for driving under the influence of drugs should be the same as the penalties for driving under the influence of booze!!

The article is a deformed mess and should never have escaped into print. It is gratifying to read thoughtful responses like the one by do your homework, America! to this wanton attempt to condemn marijuana as a driving hazard, which doesn't match the research at all. There were many thoughtful responses. Apparently we aren't the idiots that I 've come to expect in the old US of A.

This article fails to mention the fact that the U.S. consumes 99% of the world's hydrocodone (and yes it is 99% I recently did a report on it for my college speech class, although at the moment I cant find the source). and we also consume nearly 90% of all other opioids, it is important to note that using OPIUM and OPIOIDS are two entirely different things. people in the middle east and other countries such as Egypt have been smoking opium, which is derived from the seeds of the poppy plant, for THOUSANDS of years. It's kind of like cannabis is to mexico or coca to south america

So maybe theres another reason we'd like to go there and control their opium production? possibly because pharmaceuticals is a billion dollar industry, especially when the substances they sell are HIGHLY addictive.

I notice no mention of the results of studies done on people driving under the influence of marijuana.Some reduction in peripheral vision,no measurable loss of psycho-motor skills,a tendency to drive a little more slowly and cautiously,maintaining more distance from the car ahead,increased awareness of potential danger in situations being approached.Pretty much the opposite of alcohol.However combining the two makes the effect of the alcohol more intense.