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Study Finds Significant Number Of People Admit To Driving While High

BOSTON (CBS) -- Some concerning news when it comes to driving under the influence: a new study from the University of Michigan finds that a significant number of people who use medical marijuana say they have driven while high.

Michigan is second only to California in terms of the number of residents who use medical marijuana. Researchers surveyed almost 800 people from Michigan and asked about their history of driving within two hours of using cannabis in the past six months.

More than half of them admitted to getting behind the wheel of a car while "a little high" while 21 percent reported driving while "very high."

Many people downplay the effects of marijuana on the safe operation of a vehicle, but in reality, the drug can slow reaction time and impair coordination which could raise the risk of collision.  And right now, is no good way to tell how impaired a cannabis user is at any given time.

So experts say you should wait several hours after using marijuana before operating a vehicle or better yet, don't drive at all that day.

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