While California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and recreational marijuana became legal among adults on January 1, 2018, there’s still one issue that hasn’t been addressed. That issue is whether to establish a legal limit for the chemical THC, which is responsible for the high. While some states have established limits, such as Colorado’s 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood. As it turns out, not even are authorities struggling with the headaches of establishing limits, marijuana consumers may be a bit confused as to the actual laws as well, as the Sacramento Bee reports.
A recent survey conducted by Eaze, an online cannabis marketplace, found that 46% of Californians couldn’t answer whether there is a legal blood-stream limit for THC. There isn’t.
The survey consisted of 527 licensed California drivers. All of them had used marijuana within the past 30 days.
A majority (81%) were aware that it is illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana. However, 62% of those were unaware of the legal penalties for getting caught. These penalties are similar to alcohol DUI.
The survey also discovered that 82% of marijuana consumers buy driving somewhere to pick it up. A further 45% report driving after having consumed cannabis. Since California has no threshold for being too intoxicated by cannabis to drive and no “per se” laws, it can be a bit of a gray area.
Assembly Bill 127 will provide funding and authorization for the California Highway Patrol, as well as other law enforcement agencies to study the effects of marijuana-impaired drivers. Governor Gavin Newsome signed the bill into law.
