WKSU Stories

New AAA Study Finds Flaws In Laws On Marijuana and Driving

Ideastream Public Media | By Michael Bratton

Published May 11, 2016 at 7:35 AM EDT

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One of the groups backing a medical marijuana legalization amendment in Ohio has put together a high-powererd, bipartisan team to organize the effort ahead of the fall election.

A new study by AAA'sFoundation for Traffic Safetyfinds that it’s not possible to set blood-test thresholds for marijuana.

The findings come after six states, including Ohio, established tests for drivers suspected of marijuana impairment.

AAA's Jake Nelson says marijuana’s impairing chemical differs greatly from alcohol and needs to be treated as such.

"We can’t use the same policy approaches we use on alcohol for marijuana," Nelson said. "We have to find an alternative."

AAA suggests states switch to more comprehensive measures for determining sobriety. One of those suggestions includes the use of a system that tests for recent marijuana use combined with assessing driver behavior.