• just another dev@lemmy.my-box.dev
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    German traffic laws are not my area of expertise, but can you also lose your license if you drank alcohol a week ago?

    It’s not entirely a 1-to-1 comparison, but weed doesn’t have That long an impact on reaction times.

    • BitPirate@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      The alcohol test is carried out using a breathalyser and, if positive, is confirmed by a blood sample. This works well because it measures the concentration of alcohol still in your blood. A positive test means that the driver is (still) drunk and not fit to drive.

      The test method for THC is not as accurate. A urine sample can still be positive 3(!) days after smoking a joint. This is even worse with hair samples or if the person smokes occasionally.

      Limiting testing to THC alone would be a sensible decision. At the moment they also test for THC-COOH, which is a metabolic by-product and lasts much longer in the body.

      Without a change in testing methodology, you could lose your driving licence on Monday because you smoked a single joint on Friday. A bottle of vodka on Saturday? No problemo.

      • Saff@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Interesting, thanks for the explanation. I’d been looking forward to it being legal here but not if it means I risk this. I guess it will be a few times a year treat if I’m spending a week off work at home just chilling out.