1. Dr. Anselm Igbanugo specializes in internal medicine in Toms River, New Jersey.
2. Dr. James R. Morales, MD, board-certified in sports medicine, has been the medical director of Shore Sports Medicine since 2003. Dr. Morales is currently the team physician for Monmouth University in Long Branch and the Toms River Schools.
3.Dr. Ashok K. Patel, MD specializes in Geriatric Psychiatry

"The latest review of the evidence reports that driving under the influence of marijuana appears to increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes by a factor of two to three times. In addition, it is also important to remember that many people mix marijuana. There is now good evidence to suggest that using marijuana and alcohol together, even at low doses, could have a worse effect on driving than either marijuana or alcohol alone."
http://adai.washington.edu/marijuana/factsheets/driving.htm (Information updated 6/2011)

@ Jerry: I have read that a BAC of 0.05% corresponds to an increase in risk of motor vehicle crashes by a factor of 2X, also. This is curious, since 0.05% is below the limit for alcohol DUI. I clicked on the link that you provided, but there were no sources cited for their claims. Here are some other studies for you: "the evidence an involvement of cannabis in road crashes is scientifically unproven. "REFERENCE: G. Chesher and M. Longo. 2002. “[However,] this in itself does not mean that drivers under the influence of cannabis represent a traffic safety risk. … ” REFERENCE: Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. 2002. " they do not necessarily reflect 'impairment' in terms of performance effectiveness since few studies report increased accident risk. REFERENCE: UK Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (Road Safety Division). 2000. "There is no evidence that consumption of cannabis alone increases the risk of culpability for traffic crash fatalities or injuries for which hospitalization occurs, and may reduce those risks." REFERENCE: M. Bates and T. Blakely. 1999. Role of cannabis in motor vehicle crashes. Epidemiologic Reviews 21: 222-232. "the more cautious behavior of subjects who have received marijuana decreases the impact of the drug on performance, whereas the opposite holds true for alcohol.” REFERENCE: A. Smiley. 1999. Marijuana: On-Road and Driving-Simulator Studies

Jerry Belle, * Fact: California led the US to a nationwide, statistically significant reduction in the incidence of "drugged" driving during a time period when the number of patients claiming the protection of the California Compassionate Use Act and SB-420 increased by at least a factor of 10.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2011/may/31/million_medical_marijuana_patien

* Fact: The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine document states that MARIJUANA DOES NOT CAUSE DANGEROUS DRIVING: http://peaceandloveism.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4692

Google "MARIJUANA DRIVING STUDY". You'll see two common findings:

1. Drivers under the influence of marijuana are VERY SLIGHTLY impaired.

2. Unlike those under the influence of alcohol, marijuana consumers are aware they are VERY SLIGHTLY impaired and they CONSISTENTLY ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE by slowing down and being a little more cautious. That doesn’t mean they get in the fast lane on the interstate and drive 15 miles per hour. Marijuana makes you cautious, not crazy. - Those Cheech and Chong movies were comedies, NOT documentaries!

Jerry Belle, * A comparison of meta-analyses of experimental studies on the impairment of driving-relevant skills by alcohol or cannabis suggests that a THC concentration in the serum of 7–10 ng/ml is correlated with an impairment comparable to that caused by a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%.

http://www.bobkeeferlaw.com/library/Developing_limits___Marijuana___2007.pdf

* It takes approximately 2-3 hours for your serum THC concentration to fall below 10ng/ml after smoking cannabis (of different strengths). In other words, you’re probably safe to drive after 2-3 hours of using:

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/3403/picture3u.png

http://www.springerlink.com/content/um4q1mq4820h7264/

Bear in mind that THC-COOH is the inactive metabolite.

* Cannabis tends to make you calm and cautious while alcohol makes you reckless and aggressive.

Jerry Belle, A MORE RECENT STUDY:

A provider of free online auto insurance quotes says it has conducted a study that concludes marijuana uses are safer drivers. “What law enforcement agencies and insurers do not understand is that driving while high is actually a safe activity,” - James Shaffer, chief executive officer of the national auto-quote provider, in a statement.

According to the study, marijuana users may get into fewer accidents than other drivers. The study looked at data on accidents, traffic violations and insurance prices. The only significant effect of smoking marijuana may be slower driving.

http://www.4autoinsurancequote.org/uncategorized/reasons-why-marijuana-users-are-safe-drivers/

According to the DOT there were only 44.7 million cars on U.S. roads in 1950 and a population of 150 million compared to today’s 255.9 million cars and a population of 310 million. Despite this increase, the probability of being involved in an auto fatality is dramatically lower than it was 60 years ago.
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/09/us-traffic-deaths-drop-to-historic-low.html

Jerry Belle, A RECENT STUDY:

On 29-Nov-2011, a study was published by University of Colorado Denver Professor Daniel Rees and Montana State University Assistant Professor D. Mark Anderson showing states that have legalized medical marijuana experience fewer fatal car crashes compared to states that have not. The researchers suggest that there may be fewer fatal drunk driving accidents in those jurisdictions because more people may be choosing to smoke marijuana instead of making the more dangerous choice of consuming alcohol - both traffic fatalities and alcohol consumption declined.

The rate of fatal crashes in which a driver had consumed any alcohol dropped 12% after medical marijuana was legalized, and crashes involving high levels of alcohol consumption fell 14%. The study thoroughly accounted for other contributing factors regarding this decrease, such as changes in the number of miles traveled each year and new traffic laws.

"Our research suggests that the legalization of medical marijuana reduces traffic fatalities through reducing alcohol consumption by young adults," - Daniel Rees, professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver who co-authored the study with D. Mark Anderson, assistant professor of economics at Montana State University.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uocd-ssm112911.php

Jerry Belle, * Hall & Hommel (2007) considered whether there was “sufficient evidence to discourage cannabis users from driving by conducting roadside drug testing. They concluded that there was “no scientifically persuasive evidence that” random drug testing has saved lives.

Similarly, Weatherburn et al. (2003) argued “there are no solid grounds for asserting that cannabis intoxication is a major cause of road trauma”. Consideration needs to be given to evidence that THC serum concentration does not always denote impairment (Bedard et al. 2007). -- Laumon et al.’s (2005) conclusion corroborates these findings and reports that the role of cannabis in “fatal crashes is significantly lower than that associated with [any] positive blood alcohol concentration.”

Whilst Grotenhermen et al. (2007) do suggest that a concentration of 7-10 ng/ml is comparable to a blood alcohol content of 0.05%, Bedard et al. report that the “frequency of drinking and driving and the severe impact of alcohol on driving abilities are well beyond what has been shown with cannabis”.

Hall, W. & Hommel, R. (2007). Reducing cannabis-impaired driving: is there sufficient evidence for drug testing of drivers? Addiction, 102(12), 1918-9.

Weatherburn, D., Jones, C. & Donelly, N. (2003). Prohibition and Cannabis Use in Australia: A Survey of 18- to 29-year-olds. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 36(1), 77-93

Jerry Belle, * Relative risk of vehicle collision whilst under the 'acute' influence of cannabis is 1.92 whilst the relative risk of a similar vehicle accident with a blood alcohol content of 0.8 g/100 mL (the legal limit in many places) is 2.69.
http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e536

* A 2002 review of seven separate studies involving 7,934 drivers reported, "Crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes."
REFERENCE: G. Chesher and M. Longo. 2002. Cannabis and alcohol in motor vehicle accidents.

* A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than is a driver who has not consumed alcoholic beverages, and a driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about 25 times more likely.

* In a 60 km/h zone the risk of involvement in a vehicle accident with casualties increases exponentially (doubles) with each 5 km/h increase in traveling speed.
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/publications/1997/pdf/Speed_Risk_1.pdf

* Talking on a Cell phone while driving Increases accident risk by a factor of 4.

Jerry Belle, * Texting while driving Increases accident risk by a factor of 23.

* Eating and drinking is a factor in more accidents than DUI, cell phone use or texting while driving.
http://www.montlick.com/accident-blog/754-studies-show-eating-a-drinking-while-driving-may-be-a-greater-distraction-than-cell-phones

* The smokers of cigarettes - even if they do not smoke while driving - have an increased accident risk of 1.5

* Smoking cigarettes while driving Increases accident risk by a factor of 2.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2331646

* Alcohol-related accidents are so prevalent, an estimated 40 percent of all persons in the United States will be involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their lives.
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/drive/a/aa070297.htm

*** It is important to note that once marijuana is 'Legalized and Regulated' it will still be an offense to drive while impaired - DUI laws already apply to marijuana just like they do alcohol. The fact that being under the influence of a substance makes you a worse driver should have no bearing on its legality in general - otherwise we would be forced to hand the market in alcohol back to machine-gun tooting bootleggers.

The DEA has identified prescription painkillers as their number one priority because of addiction problems and overdose deaths. Pharma Pills kill 20,000 Americans each year. No one has ever died from marijuana ingestion.

Prescription drugs kill some 200,000 Americans every year.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/01/deadly-medicine-201101?currentPage=all

"An estimated 770,000 people are injured or die each year in hospitals from adverse drug events (ADEs) defined as an injury resulting from medical intervention related to a drug. Not all, but many, IF NOT MOST, of these adverse drug events are preventable."

http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimony/Patient_Safety_and_Medication_Errors.asp

* The number of deaths from drug poisonings in the U.S. has increased sixfold since 1980.

* In 2008, more than 41,000 people in the U.S. died from intentional and accidental poisonings - Nine out of 10 were due to drugs. These deaths exceeded the number of deaths from automobile accidents making poisoning the leading cause of injury death. (CDC National Center for Health Statistics 1980 to 2008)

Fully 40% of these deaths in 2008 involved the use of prescription opioid pain relievers such as codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone, (was 25% in 1999) - In 2008, Cocaine was involved in about 5,100 deaths and heroin was involved in about 3,000 deaths.

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20111220/deaths-drug-poisoning-in-us-jump-sixfold

* PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS: drugs like oxycodone and hydrocodone, the main ingredients in Oxycontin and Vicodin, landed 305,885 Americans in emergency rooms in 2008 -- study by Samsha and the CDC)

Overdose deaths involving these opioid pain relievers (oxycodone and hydrocodone; and synthetic narcotics such as fentanyl and propoxyphene) now exceed deaths from heroin and cocaine combined (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Prescription drug overdoses have been increasing in the United States over the last decade, and by 2008 had reached 36,450 deaths - almost as many as from motor vehicle crashes (39,973).

http://www.acep.org/MobileArticle.aspx?id=82888&coll_id=720&parentid=740

* VIOXX: On January 24, 2005, the medical journal The Lancet published on its website a report on Vioxx risks that was previously blocked by the FDA. The study found that Vioxx may have caused as many as 140,000 cases of heart disease in the United States and as many as 56,000 deaths during the five years that it was on the market. The newly published study of 1.4 million patients shows that that low doses of Vioxx increased the risk of heart disease by about 50%, and higher doses increased it by 358%.

http://www.vioxxnews.com/

* ACETAMINOPHEN: ( found in more than 300 products with sales in the billions of dollars annually) Acetaminophen overdoses are the leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States, Great Britain and most of Europe. Acetaminophen toxicity accounts for approximately 50% of all cases of ALF in the United States and carries a 30% mortality.

"use has sky rocketed...especially with teens. " Cite your sources. Mine say differently: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57456999-10391704/medical-marijuana-legalization-wont-boost-teen-pot-use-study-finds/ . The NJ law says the following conditions only are allowed for medical marijuana: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Multiple sclerosis, Terminal cancer, Muscular dystrophy, Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease, Terminal illness, if the physician has determined a prognosis of less than 12 months of life. , Seizure disorder, including epilepsy, Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity, Glaucoma, Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Cancer. You tell me how someone can fake any one of these illnesses, Mr. Brickhead Lew. "They will be ones looking to legally score some grass." What business is it of yours is someone uses marijuana? Are you a control freak that wants to project your phony "morals" on everyone in this country? You would rather people score weed from the Mexican cartels. Prohibition is dead because prohibitionists can't make a logical argument against it.

Bricktown Lew, Marijuana's prohibition, like all other similar futile attempts at curbing "man's desire to alter his consciousness", has invariably been rooted in hate, paranoia, racism, misinformation, half-truths, and outright lies. It's your right to disagree, just try to do it factually and with less hate lies. Everyone of us has had enough time to see through, and disregard, the hate and lies we've already heard a million times. They were hate and lies then, they are hate and lies now.

There is no debate: Marijuana is absolutely safer than alcohol, tobacco, or even most, of our over-the-counter "medicines". Prohibition, on the other hand, is a costly nightmare that only enriches criminals and corrupt politicians. Millions of citizens are already using marijuana, legal or not. What many sane people are proposing is to take the criminal aspect out of it and collect revenues from its sale, instead of spending millions of precious tax dollars on doomed-to-failure enforcement.

MARIJUANA CURES CANCER:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4

http://www.nowpublic.com/thc_marijuana_helps_cure_cancer_says_harvard_study

http://patients4medicalmarijuana.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/marijuana-cures-cancer-us-government-has-known-since-1974/

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/08/pbs-documentary-sheds-light-on-marijuanas-cancer-killing-properties/

Let me tell you something now, Mr. Kevin Hunt. First of all, I get my facts from the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). Since I have experience in actually having to deal daily with youngster with drug habits, my info sources come from the government, not some blogger or whatever. Also, I personally have been diagnosed with some of the medical conditions for you mentioned in your comment (for more than 2 decades) and so have some relatives of mine and we have been treated successfully with medicines. Medicines. Medicines that DO NOT cause a person to become high and under the influence. Medicines that don't effect reflexes or vision and can operate motor vehicles in a safe, normal, manner.

No, I am not a control freak projecting morals. I am a person who knows 100% that other people with my medical issues will be running out to get marijuana and use their condition as an excuse to get high. If you don't believe that when you are really stupid. Something tells me, you would be one that runs to the doc for pot. Anyway, I say this...the roads are dangerous enough as is down here. All we would need would be more people driving under the influence of pot and blaming it on their medical conditions. Do you really think that people who will be using "medical marijuana" will never be high behind the wheel?

When I see a car weaving on and off the road, I'll be thinking of people like you who don't care who is behind the wheel.

You claim you get your facts from the DOJ yet you post no actual numbers...

" I get my facts from the DOJ " It's a biased source. They get paid to keep marijuana illegal. "No, I am not a control freak projecting morals. ......as an excuse to get high.' Like I said, why do you care if people "get high"? Do you care if people get drunk in their own homes, as long as they stay off the roads? You are projecting the same Calvinist "morals" that led to alcohol prohibition and maintain the current failed marijuana prohibition. As far as driving and marijuana, you have no proof that marijuana causes weaving; that is drunkenness that causes weaving. "Comparing traffic deaths over time in states with and without medical marijuana law changes, the researchers found that fatal car wrecks dropped by 9% in states that legalized medical use " Source: Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption by D. Mark Anderson, Daniel I. Rees (November 2011)

hopefully it taken seriously and given to those who really can benefit. my question is are there pill forms or just smokable...wondering for asthmatics?

Get a clue, Lew!

"Evidence provides no indication that decriminalization leads to a measurable increase in marijuana use."

— Boston University Department of Economics

"There is little evidence that decriminalization of marijuana use necessarily leads to a substantial increase in marijuana use."

— National Academy of Sciences

"The preponderance of the evidence which we have gathered and examined points to the conclusion that decriminalization has had virtually no effect either on the marijuana use or on related attitudes and beliefs about marijuana use among American young people."

— The University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research

"The Dutch experience, together with those of a few other countries with more modest policy changes, provides a moderately good empirical case that removal of criminal prohibitions on cannabis possession (decriminalization) will not increase the prevalence of marijuana or any other illicit drug; the argument for decriminalization is thus strong."

— British Journal of Psychiatry

True, but now Obama thinks that cancer patients shouldn't be able to buy weed at a dispensary, so his DOJ is shutting them down in CA. Obama is not the only presidential candidate to be guilty of chooming. Gingrich and Santorum are admitted marijuana users, as well. Quoting Newt Gingrich: "On September 16, 1981, Representatives Stewart McKinney and I introduced legislation designed to end bureaucratic interference in the use of marijuana as a medicant. We believe licensed physicians are competent to employ marijuana, and patients have a right to obtain marijuana legally, under medical supervision, from a regulated source". Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, March 19, 1982;247(11)

Thanks, D557. I don't mind when people want to have a scientific debate concerning the pros and cons of medical marijuana, but people like Lew come on the scene with sarcasm and outlandish scenarios involving "Drs. Cheech and Chong". I was lucky enough to meet Tommy Chong in the mid 90's and he is much smarter in real life than his characters in the movies. He wrote the screenplay for 11 movies and shows, directed 6 and starred in 35. Not bad for a "stoner"

Maybe you should put the blunt down for a minute and actually READ my post before claiming who I am, how great of a life I have, and why I post what I do?

"you should put the blunt down for a minute"..ad hominem...weak

agree about alternative/natural meds and it is no different than as with physical therapy, you still have to go so often and pay the co-pay...three times a week adds up, but what if you had to pay $200 to register for the "right" to go to there? That is what I have an issue with, it is done to be a deterrent, that's just wrong. The pain meds that you do not have to register for, that insurance covers, are far more dangerous to the body than this is. If you have a chronic disease, and are on the meds, over time, they stop working, now you need more than your liver can handle, yet you still are enduring so much pain and need something, or you have taken your pain meds and have 2 hours to go before you can take another. I just think that the fee, the idea of one, is outrageous! Let's bear in mind the cost of having any of these illnesses, the constant doctor appointments, the meds to fight the disease, surgeries, etc. with, without insurance, its a lot of money that is constantly being put out. I understand how careful the government feels they must be, so as it does not get into the wrong hands, but let's put this into perspective, you do not pay this high of a fee for the right to own a gun. People in so much pain are NOT looking for a way to get high, just trying to cope with the situation they find themselves in, only trying to survive. Would I pay it? yes, however, I feel they should be ashamed of themselves for implementing it!

So someone dealing with these specific diseases should be punished to cover others abusive behavior. This so called "war on drugs" is not working and this fee will not change any of it. Parents need to smarten up, lock up the meds if you must, you are responsible for what you have in your home. Talk with your kids, know your kids and if your find a problem "you" take care of it!

and pay 200 dollars to register!

AGREE

Sorry, severe pain from arthritis is not a qualifying condition. Time to kill yourself with All-American 100% legal Vicodin. Is there such a thing as "opiate rock"? I suppose Nirvana might do.

Dewars+Vicodin = Liver damage!!