If you’re driving in Nevada or Ohio with more than 2 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL) in your system, you’re considered too impaired to drive.
In Pennsylvania, it only takes 1 ng/mL.
Colorado, Washington and Nevada are more lenient with a 5 ng/mL limit.
But in Michigan, a special commission is advising state lawmakers to NOT set limits on how much THC a person can have in their system before they’re considered too impaired to drive.
And as one of Michigan’s leading advocates for cannabis users, Barton Morris agrees.
Who Is Barton Morris?
In the world of cannabis law, Barton Morris has some serious chops.
Having developed expertise since 2008 with the enactment of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, Barton Morris is considered one of the top cannabis law lawyers in Michigan.
As the principal attorney and founder of the Cannabis Legal Group, he specializes in all marijuana related legal issues including criminal defense, business law, licensing, consulting, land use and real property.
Morris is unique in that he is the only attorney in Michigan certified by the American Chemical Society as a Forensic Lawyer-Scientist maintaining a focus on marijuana related science.
He acts as a council member of the Marijuana Law Section of the Michigan Bar Association, as well as chair of its science committee.
Additionally, he is an official spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Based on this last point, one might assume that he would want to put a legal limit on THC – given that there is a legal limit on alcohol.
But that’s not the case.
Alcohol and THC Metabolize Differently
The commission, known as the Impaired Driving Safety Commission, has spent the past year studying the effects of THC and then compiling a report.
In their report, they found there is no scientifically supported threshold for THC that correlates to impaired driving.
“It’s something that people want to compare it to alcohol,” says Morris. “It simply doesn’t exist.”
That’s because there are many ways to consume marijuana. And the way it affects people can vary widely. Chronic users can have high levels of THC in their blood and function quite well, while newbies with low levels of THC could be feeling an impact.
In fact, according to the report, studies show that people impaired by cannabis tend to drive slower, leave more space between cars and take fewer risks than when they drive sober.
No Legal Limit Means Sticking to the Facts
“The commission was very accurate,” Morris said. “There cannot be a THC concentration in blood that reasonably equates to impaired driving.”
And it’s not just defense attorneys who advocate the no legal limit for THC.
Most prosecutors appreciate the idea of having no recommended limit because they can remain focused on all of the other factors of the case including the driver’s ability to control the car, field sobriety tests and the police officer’s observations.
With no legal limit, “now it’s just a factor that must be taken into consideration,” Morris said.
It makes perfect sense to us. Especially since the state government is working toward expunging marijuana related charges – not adding more.
Seeking Consultation?
State and municipal laws involving marijuana change rapidly.
As an advocate for cannabis users and businesses, Barton Morris and the Cannabis Legal Group can provide you with complete marijuana business and compliance services to keep you running as efficiently as possible.
Then contact us to address your cannabis marketing needs.
Between our team and Barton Morris’s team, we’ve got you covered.