The Impact of Marijuana Abuse on Driving

Driving is a complex psychomotor task, which requires cognitive and psychomotor abilities apart from efficient driving skills. These abilities get affected due to intoxication of substances like drugs and alcohol, which are likely to result in road accidents. This is comparatively high in case of drugs like marijuana. The primary impact of marijuana abuse is diminished psychomotor performance.

Does it impact?
There were many tests conducted on the impact of marijuana on driving of the abused. The results of almost all these tests reported that marijuana abuse has ample potential to diminish the psychomotor abilities as well as result in damage of other crucial capabilities like distorting perceptions, impairing judgment, decreasing concentration, etc. Thus, the abused gets impaired of his natural ability in performing multiple and interactive tasks and becomes inefficient to accomplish complex tasks like driving.

How does it impact?
Marijuana contains highly potent psychoactive substance called THC. When marijuana is ingested, this substance enters into the blood stream and then is distributed to all the organs of the body, including brain. The THC and other chemicals of marijuana stimulate cannabinoid receptors in cell membranes of the brain. Cannabinoid receptors influence several mental and physical activities like short-term memory, coordination, and psychomotor abilities.

The effects of marijuana abuse can last for up to 24 hours in case of smoking. These effects are found to turn more adverse when marijuana is ingested along with alcohol. After the ingestion of marijuana, it makes the abused to delay his regular response to sights and sounds. It impairs or impediments his regular eye and hand coordination. It decreases his concentration levels and ability to keep track of moving objects. As all these abilities are crucial in proper driving, a person impaired of them is unfit to drive.

Though driving is a routine task carried out everyday by many people, it is still a privilege. Marijuana abuse is found to impact the driving of the abused. Thus, it is important to take precautions, and to make sure family members or friends are not abused before letting them take the privilege of driving.

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