Ed Wood is an expert on issues related to drugged driving — which is chief among the reasons Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed him to serve on a task force charged with recommending regulations of marijuana to the state’s legislature.
How and why Mr. Wood developed his expertise — and his relentless pursuit of legal reform surrounding impaired-driving laws — is tragic: His own son, Brian, was killed at age 33 in 2010 by a marijuana-impaired driver. Brian braked and swerved in a way that saved the life of his wife, Erin, who was pregnant with their first child. The book Mr. Wood published in 2011, Deception Pass, recounts the tragedy and the legal realities that followed.
Mr. Wood works honorably and diligently in his son’s memory with the hope of ensuring others won’t have to experience the heartbreak he and his family have — and do. He has launched the Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) Victim Network, which promotes effective per se laws to define DUID. As the organization’s website notes:
“Only 17 states define DUID per se by objective laboratory tests. In other states, more difficult, costly and subjective means must be used to prove DUID. Laboratory tests are not routinely performed for all suspected drug DUI cases.”
This week, Mr. Wood sent a message to the full governor-appointed task force in anticipation of the body’s last meeting, scheduled for today, Feb. 28. His comments speak loudly about the task force’s focus and composition — both heavily weighted in favor of the marijuana industry and its interests.
“Please, on your last day, spend no more time talking about how much THC should be permitted in gummy bears, lollipops and candy bars. I was disgusted to listen to adult leaders in Colorado talking about this Monday afternoon, with no apparent concern with the debasement of our culture that occurs as we make mind-altering drugs more attractive to our children.
“How deep must we sink before we resurrect ourselves?”
ITs a shame you have to go around a spread lies. Its a shame that people think its okay to have a sip of beer and drive and the way to test drunks is by their breath. One could have smoked marijuana a month ago and still have the THC in them, so you deciding that one is stoned is not right.
From someone who has been driving for 16 years stoned and no accidents/tickets or any other violations, I am proof that what you believe is wrong. If you do your research, you will find that even car insurance companies research, along with scientific evident that stone drivers are better drivers, as we are more aware of our surroundings. If you really want to get rid of bad drivers, ban cell phones.
Actually, Erin, your admission that you have “been driving for 16 years stoned” underscores this important point: many impaired drivers are not detected. They are, instead, ticking time bombs.
We also welcome citations from reputable, peer-reviewed research to support your claims that “stone(d) drivers are better drivers.”
Welll-said-thank you for standing up for reason.