It will soon be legal to use marijuana for medical purposes in Arizona, and that prompted reader Harold Moberly to ask how the new law could affect driving privileges.
"Anyone given permission by the state of (Arizona) to use medical marijuana should have their driver's license revoked as I think it is still illegal to drive under the influence of drugs such as marijuana. Was there some exemption in the new law that says they also now have the right to have a driver's license and use pot regularly?" he wrote.
It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and a person who is "impaired to the slightest degree" is subject to arrest, said Lt. Lew Bentley, Tucson Police Department's traffic division commander. That doesn't change if they have a prescription or doctor's permission for the substance that is impairing them, he said.
"It is a violation of the DUI laws to operate a motor vehicle when you are impaired, whether it be alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin or any one of several other substances including prescription drugs," he said. "Even if a person has a prescription for marijuana, it is still illegal to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence if their ability to operate it is impaired by the slightest degree. The same holds true for other prescription drugs."
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That said, he's hoping that medical marijuana comes with the same warnings about not operating a vehicle or other heavy machinery when using the drug, Bentley said.
Moberly sees it as a preventative measure.
"If they had to forfeit their license, it would sure cut down on the people with sore fingers that need medical marijuana, and only the people that really need help would be getting it. It is bad enough that we are not a whole lot harder on drunk drivers, and now we could be turning a whole lot more impaired drivers onto our roads," Moberly wrote.
Bentley responded to that point by saying the state and local authorities don't revoke licenses just because a person has a prescription for any other drug, "so I don't believe we could do that with marijuana prescriptions."
"All we can do is warn them not to drive if they are using the prescription and educate them about the consequences if they do. Hopefully, people will recognize that marijuana can severely affect your judgment, reaction time, reflexes and other skills that are required to operate a motor vehicle," he said.
DONATE TO 'BIKE IN BOX'
Tucsonan Jesse Lugo is trying to pull together a second Bike in a Box event, where Lugo Charities gives underprivileged children a new bicycle and helmet in December. This year's event is Sunday, and the organization is still collecting donations.
The bikes come disassembled in the box, so the kids can learn basic assembly of their new toy or transportation along with their guardians' help, Lugo Charities' website says.
The Lugos knew it could be a tough fundraising year, and a recent radio drive for donations, indeed, proved that. It fell short of the $25,000 goal, which would be enough for 500 bicycles. Donation forms and instructions are available at www.lugocharities.com, and donations will be accepted through Friday.
Road Q
Question: "Why are the traffic lights at Ina Road and I-10 not put on a sensor, flashing red or flashing yellow for Ina, and flashing red for the frontage roads at low-traffic volume times?" Charles Wippermann wrote. He said recently, "I sat for 2 1/2 minutes on Ina waiting for a green light while three cars and no train went through the intersection."
Answer: It appears something was malfunctioning at the intersection at that time, said Linda Ritter, spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Transportation. "It appears to be working correctly at this time," she said. "It is not ADOT policy to place intersections in flash during low-peak times."
Road Runner answers road-related questions in this column on Mondays. Send your questions via e-mail to roadrunner@azstarnet.com or to 4850 S. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ 85714. Please include your first and last names.
