Driving Under The Influence Of Pot As Bad As Alcohol? (POLL)

CBS 4 in Denver is reporting that more and more people who are arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana are being allowed to go free with no conviction. You think this makes sense or is this just creating a bigger problem?

As you might imagine, opinions vary wildly on this. Certain sites like The Free Thought Project obviously think it's great.

Since the recreational use of cannabis became legal, Colorado authorities are scrambling to apply rules and regulations to this new reality. They have established a 5 ng/ml blood-THC limit for operation of a motor vehicle, which seems to be arbitrary as there is no preponderance of data to support a specific number.

Indeed, the assumption that driving on weed poses the same risks as driving on alcohol would be a fallacy. In September, we reported on a novel study that found virtually no driving impairment under the influence of cannabis, while alcohol caused complete impairment.

As CBS 4 reported, authorities don't see it this way.

Tom Raynes, a former prosecutor who now heads the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council, says Colorado prosecutors are becoming increasingly frustrated juries are letting marijuana users off the hook.

“You are putting lives in danger,” said Raynes. “I want the message to be understood. It’s about driving while under the influence of drugs — it’s not about recreational or medical, it’s about being impaired when you drive.”

What do you think? Marijuana-influenced driving a big problem or overblown? Should judges start throwing the book at those who do it or forget it altogether?