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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

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LAPD, City Attorney Ask Reporters to Smoke Marijuana, Then has them Drive

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"Snoop OG Kush" | Photo by Michael Zampelli via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

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So, does marijuana impair driving? That's the question City Attorney Carmen Trutanich wants to answer in his crusade against Prop 19, the November ballot initiative that seeks to legalize and tax marijuana in California. This week, Trutanich and the LAPD invited LA Times columnist Steve Lopez and KABC radio host Peter Tilden, both who are cleared for legal medicinal marijuana use, to participate in an experiment in which they get high and drive in front of the cops. Was it a train wreck (in fact, Lopez smoked a varietal called Train Wreck)? Not totally, but there signs of "impairment across the board," officers said.

"Trutanich seemed pleased with the findings," noted Lopez in his column today, "but I think more research could be useful. Dude, I didn't even get a chance to dip into my bag of Skywalker."

What do you think? If Prop 19 passes, will the roads get more dangerous?

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