WXYZ Channel 7: WSU Applebaum's marijuana and driving research featured

WXYZ-TV reporter Kimberly Craig spent an afternoon with Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Randall Commissaris and master's student Kawthar Alali to learn more about their research on the effects of marijuana on driving performance. Channel 7 brought a test subject, Derek Bandy, who drove the WSU Applebaum simulator both sober and high. 

"Right now in Michigan, unlike alcohol, there is no set legal limit of marijuana intoxication while driving. If you fail a field sobriety test and police find any amount of THC in your system, you'll be facing a judge," Craig said. 

Commissaris and his team draw blood from their test subjects to measure nanograms of THC in their systems before they drive the simulator, and they compare each individual's sober driving performance to test reaction time and other factors.

"We've got .08 for alcohol. Is there a [THC] number that might be useful for marijuana? Because that would be much more helpful for police in terms of enforcement," Commissaris said.

Watch the clip on WXYZ

 

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