Legalization of cannabis is quickly approaching in Canada, and while the majority of Canadians support it, a majority are also worried about drugged driving.
A new survey from State Farm does show Canadians are growing more accustomed to it
“Fully one in four Canadians have changed their views on marijuana,” said spokesperson John Bordignon. “In a way that they are now more acceptable to the fact it’s being used for medical, and soon to be recreational, purposes legally.”
But there is one concerning response from a lot of cannabis users.
“Just about 50 percent believe that smoking marijuana and diving does not impact their ability to do so, so, we found that alarming. That’s a five per cent increase on average over the same question we asked Canadians last year.”
Overall, that means still about three-quarters of Canadians think marijuana negatively affects driving, but out of the one-quarter of smokers, half of them think it has no effect.
Plus, there is some worry about how well the impaired driving laws can be enforced.
“What Canadians are looking for, and what they’re trying to understand, is if the police and the courts are going to have the tools necessary to manage and police drug impaired driving overall.”
Bordignon said there is one big takeaway from this survey, especially for users:
“Of course, you know, if you’re of age and you’re getting it, obtaining it legally, no one’s telling you that you can’t do it. The only thing is, is that how much it affects you, and think about others, especially before you decide to get behind the wheel.”
