Parliamentary committee says Danish government’s legislation on driving whilst stoned is too strict

According to scientists, many lose their licence unjustly

Lucie Rychla

The government has been asked to reconsider a zero tolerance policy that has already led to several thousand Danes losing their driving licences after tests revealed traces of THC, the chemical responsible for most of cannabis’s psychological effects, in their blood.

Many claimed they were not high whilst driving, but had smoked cannabis on an earlier occasion, but the legislation stipulates that they should lose their licence regardless of whether they had smoked cannabis several weeks before, been exposed to smoke second-hand or not presented any real danger to road safety.

Law is too strict
Now, a majority of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee want the government to consider scientific studies on the subject and find a more “sustainable solution”, reports Information.

The committee – consisting of representatives from Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF), Venstre, Liberal Alliance and Enhedlisten – believes the current law is too strict.

“I am really happy that we managed to agree on the proposal,” Karina Lorentzen, a representative of SF and the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, told Information.

“I also hoped that a majority would agree on a transitional period when motorists could keep their driving licence if they submitted a clean drug test within a certain period, but we had to drop this part.” 

Furthermore, some experts have pointed out that some drivers may not even be affected by a certain amount of cannabis while driving.

The test is a positive one if there is any trace at all, not a level that would actually affects the driver’s capability to drive safely.

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