cannabisnews.com: Cops Now Have a Leg Up On Tokers Cops Now Have a Leg Up On Tokers Posted by CN Staff on April 29, 2003 at 15:22:34 PT By Jason Botchford -- Sun Media Source: Edmonton Sun It may seem old school to make a driver stand on one leg for a roadside sobriety test, but that's one of the best available methods police have for determining whether or not someone is toking and driving. Police believe the number of stoned drivers is increasing but their efforts to deal with the problem have been hampered by a lack of roadside tools. But there may be an effective solution. Unable to use breathalyzers, cops are now counting on training. Officers across Canada are graduating as drug-recognition experts who are able to detect those impaired by drugs with a series of tests. A trained officer has several tests for drivers to determine impairment: * A multiple-stage visual examination of specific movements. * A pupil test that examines a driver's pupil size in four light levels. * Testing for muscle tone by lifting arms. * An attention test in which officers make motorists stand on one leg and balance. "It's been an effective method and has worked quite well," said Insp. Kash Heed, in British Columbia, where the first Canadian officers were trained. There have been several convictions of impaired driving in Vancouver based on evidence from these officers. There are now three cops in Toronto with the new drug training but Ontario must pass legislation to allow courts here to accept evidence from these officers. Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Author: Jason Botchford -- Sun MediaPublished: Monday, April 28, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: letters edm.sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmPolice Mellow On Weed http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16077.shtmlO Cannabis - Edmonton Sun http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16075.shtml'Born in Hysteria' - London Free Presshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16073.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on April 30, 2003 at 13:24:16 PT LTE Sirs, In September 2002, the Canadian Senate Committee published a lengthy study on cannabis in Canada. With regards to driving, the committee concluded that "cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving." Their main concern was with people who consume cannabis and alcohol together; in these cases, the committee reccomended lowering the legal blood alcohol limit from .1% to .04%. Alcohol alone seems to be far more impairing to the driver than marijuana on its own. Legal marijuana would mean people could freely choose something besides alcohol. Might this lead to less people driving drunk? [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by JoeCitizen on April 30, 2003 at 09:49:59 PT: You call that a sobriety test? Now THIS is a test! [from The Man with Two Brains](Doctor Hfuhruhurr has been pulled over for speeding. He has to carry out the Vienna version of a roadside sobriety test)Vienna Cop: "Get out of the car. Stretch out your arms and touch your nose with your finger. Now walk this white line. HALT! Come back. On your hands! One hand. Now do a rollover, turnover and flip-flop! Alright. [Throws him juggling pins.] Now juggle these, do a tap dance and sing the Catalina Magdalina Luptenschteiner Volunbeiner song!"Doctor: "God DAMN your drunk tests are hard!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Kegan on April 30, 2003 at 03:09:38 PT Testing Thery should ask suspected stoners to do weird things: If they try, they must be stoned.Stand on one leg. Touch yer toes...Now levitate over the car please sir...If he tries it, he is stoned. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Virgil on April 29, 2003 at 20:17:02 PT Nol Van Schaik says Spain is growing a culture Nol says at the Hempcity forum that Spain is the Netherlands rival in growing the culture. He has three reports on Spain that are listed on his website- http://www.hempcity.net/intro.html Cannabis. It smells like freedom. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ekim on April 29, 2003 at 18:39:39 PT good one FoM just a reminder----- On April 10, U.S. Reps. Sam Farr (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and 27 others introduced a new medical marijuana bill in Congress that would end the federal government's gag on medical marijuana defendants in court.Please go to http://www.mpp.org/USA/action.html to send a pre-written letter to your U.S. representative, urging him or her to support this new measure. The bill, H.R. 1717, is called the "Truth in Trials Act." By providing an affirmative defense to federal marijuana charges, it would not only ensure that defendants could introduce evidence about the medical nature of their marijuana-related activity, but would also keep them from being sent to federal prison if it is determined that they were acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 29, 2003 at 18:12:12 PT ekim I got a good idea. How about stand on one leg, close your eyes take a deep breath and do three back flips and land squarely on both feet! That should do! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by ekim on April 29, 2003 at 17:55:19 PT make leo do it first stand on one leg----------then close your eyes. what do these guys ask for anyway. we need the law spelled out. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment