Many admit to driving high

Photo: The Canadian Press

Almost two-thirds of Canadians who've smoked pot know they shouldn't drive after doing so, but a lot of them are doing it anyway.

Health Canada's latest survey on cannabis use says more than eight in 10 Canadians believe using the drug will affect your ability to drive, but only six in 10 of those who use pot themselves say the same thing.

Furthermore, four in 10 of those who use pot admitted they had driven within two hours of consuming it, and more than one-third of those had done so in the 30 days before they answered the survey.

The survey was conducted in June and July, with nearly 13,000 respondents across the country answering questions about whether and how they used pot just a few months before Canada legalized recreational marijuana.

Andrew Murie, the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, says it's not surprising to him that people are driving while high even though they know it is unsafe. He hopes police will be better prepared to detect drugged drivers by next summer.

The survey found only three per cent of people who said they had used pot came into contact with police in relation to driving under the influence.