How marijuana affects reaction time
Legal repercussions
Final word
How marijuana affects reaction time
Marijuana affects everyone differently. Many factors will affect how Marijuana will impact a certain individual including the exact type of marijuana, how frequently you use it and more. It is widely considered to be a harmless recreational drug. However, it does have some downsides. Marijuana can significantly impact the reaction time of someone who uses it. In fact, once someone has used marijuana their reaction time can increase by over twenty percent.
That is a big deal when it comes to operating a motor vehicle. It can easily be the difference between stopping safely behind the vehicle in front of you and hitting it at nearly full speed depending on the circumstances. In fact, in some individuals, it has been observed that executive function such as focus were also significantly impacted by the use of marijuana. When you momentarily lose focus while driving, in the moment your reaction ability becomes zero. To sum it up, you are putting yourself and everyone else out on the road at unnecessary risk when you choose to drive while you are under the influence of marijuana. It is for this reason that driving while “high” is illegal.
Legal repercussions
If you are caught by the police driving while you are under the influence of marijuana, you will face severe consequences just as you would if you were caught drinking and driving. The first time that you are caught driving “high” in Alaska:
- You will lose your license for at least three months.
- You will be fined up to fifteen hundred dollars.
- You will spend at least three days in jail.
- You will have an ignition interlock device installed in your car.
And that is just after your first offense. For additional offenses these penalties will reoccur but will just be much more severe. For example, you could end up getting six months to a year of jail time for additional offenses.
Final word
Driving under the influence of Marijuana is obviously something you should never do or even consider. Using marijuana lowers your ability to react as well as to focus. When you pair that with driving, you are just asking for trouble. You could end up getting into an accident, hurting yourself and someone else as well as getting arrested. If you hurt someone else, you will be responsible for damages and face severe criminal charges. If you get pulled over, you will be arrested, have your license suspended, and face a huge fine. In Alaska, or anywhere else for that matter, never drive under the influence of marijuana
