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Colorado is asking marijuana users why they drive high

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Published: Feb 9, 2018, 2:03 pm • Updated: Feb 9, 2018, 2:05 pm

By Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post

As it continues to combat stoned driving in Colorado, the state transportation department is hoping to have an online conversation with the public about their opinions toward marijuana, alcohol and driving.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has launched The Cannabis Conversation, an online, anonymous survey that asks people about their marijuana and alcohol use and how they feel about driving while using marijuana. The survey can be found at ColoradoCannabisConvo.com.

“We want to find out from marijuana users why they drive high when it’s so dangerous,” said Sam Cole, a transportation department spokesman.

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In 2016, there were 77 traffic fatalities involving drivers with active THC in their blood, according to CDOT statistics. In Colorado, a driver is presumed impaired when when they have five nanograms or more of Delta 9-THC in their blood, but Colorado police do not use roadside devices to detect marijuana. Arrests are based on observed impairment.

The transportation department hopes the survey helps officials spot trends and attitudes toward drugged driving in Colorado, which would help them form campaigns to target behavior, Cole said.

The transportation department has hired a third-party research firm to collect and analyze the data. They want responses from across Colorado and among all age, gender and race categories. And they want non-users to respond, too, Cole said.

This article originally appeared on DenverPost.com

Topics: breathalyzer, Colorado, driving high, drug testing, marijuana blood test, traffic fatalities

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