Canadian Judge: Cannabis-Impaired Driving Killed Mother – Cannabis | Weed | Marijuana

According to a Canadian judge, cannabis-impaired driving killed a 51-year-old mother of two. Kevin Hyde will face 6.5 years in prison for striking Louise Whiten in December 2020.

Only in Canada can someone get under a decade in prison for killing another person. Even though the death was accidental, we can glean two things from the facts:

1 – Kevin Hyde should have had his license suspended long ago.

2 – Cannabis impairment wasn’t the issue. Kevin Hyde’s reckless driving was.

Madam Justice Ann-Marie Calsavara is wrong. Cannabis-impaired driving did not kill a mother of two. And by giving Hyde six-and-a-half years in prison (and only a ten-year prohibition on his driving instead of a lifetime ban), she further cemented the inescapable reality that Canada is broken.

And we can thank these soft-on-crime “progressive” judges for contributing to this breakdown.

Cannabis-Impaired Driving Killed Mother?

According to judge Calsavara, cannabis-impair driving killed a mother of two. According to the driver, Kevin Hyde, he experienced “syncope,” which caused him to lose consciousness.

Of course, Hyde also drove 90km an hour in a 50km zone. According to the evidence submitted in court, Hyde didn’t even brake before hitting and killing the mother of two. He simply took his foot off the accelerator.

This wasn’t a first-time offence for the 60-year-old driver. Hyde’s prior driving record shows a pattern of reckless disregard for others. He had sixteen prior convictions.

Additionally, while testing positive for cannabis on the day of the crash, Hyde also admitted to drinking beer. But, according to Judge Calsavara, alcohol played little role.

It was cannabis’ fault. Cannabis-Impaired driving killed the Oakville mother of two.

“A message must be sent to those who similarly choose to risk the lives and safety of the public by consuming drugs or alcohol,” the judge said before sentencing Hyde to less than a decade in prison with the potential for parole after three years.

“Soft on Crime” Wins Again

Hyde made an emotional appeal in court.

“As I stand here before you today, I realize there are no words I could say that could possibly erase the pain, anguish and complete loss that you all felt on Dec. 3, 2020,” Hyde said, addressing the family.

But pulling at heartstrings only seems to have worked on the judge.

The widowed husband told the media, “I think if you are really remorseful about this, you wouldn’t have gone through court and dragged the family through this for two-and-a-half years. If you want to take accountability, own up and plea. That would’ve been the right thing to do. The decent thing to do. So I don’t buy that one bit.”

Indeed, the trucker that accidentally hit the bus full of hockey-playing teens didn’t bother with a lengthy court process. He knew he was guilty. He’d also been entirely sober.

Of all substances, cannabis-Impaired driving kills the least, if at all.

Can Cannabis Cause Traffic Deaths?

An estimated 42,000 people die in North America every year on the road. If roads and highways were under private management, a statistic like this would have left-wing media and politicians calling for its nationalization.

But as the state has monopolized roads, highways, sidewalks, and other means of travel, we accept this number as a necessary trade-off.

But what about the case of Louise Whiten, who wasn’t even driving? She’d simply been walking her dog, and a 60-year-old man who should have had his license suspended went off the road and hit her on the sidewalk.

Did cannabis-Impaired driving kill the mother of two?

A double shot of cannabis and beer certainly impaired Kevin Hyde. But even if the judge is correct, and the beer was irrelevant, what is the process by which cannabis makes you go 40km over the limit in a residential zone?

What are the Effects of Cannabis?

Experienced stoners and medical patients know how cannabis “impairment” can lead to you slowing down and being more aware of your surroundings. Of course, there’s a reason for that.

Cannabis increases your heart rate. The mind often interprets this by expressing anxiety or paranoia. In the context of driving, this can make you a more conscientious driver.

But cannabis itself cannot cause you to do anything. Your prior experiences, beliefs, and biases will inform your decision-making. If you, like Hyde, are already a reckless driver, there’s a potential a cannabis high can inform you of how dangerous you are.

But as was probably the case with Hyde, it’s also possible that cannabis use was common, even a daily occurrence. In this case, cannabis will act more like caffeine than alcohol.

Yet, let’s take Judge Calsavara at her word. Let’s assume the traffic reefer madness infesting the nation isn’t real. That Calsavara ruled correctly and that cannabis-impaired driving killed Louise Whiten.

What does that tell us?

Did Cannabis-Impaired Driving Kill Mother of Two? 

Do you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes? Then you know how cannabis can have a detrimental effect on glucose control. Several studies indicate that, at least for people with type 1 diabetes, cannabis is not benign.

Since cannabis interacts with our endocannabinoid system, various physiological processes, including glucose metabolism, are affected.

Some research suggests that cannabis use may change blood sugar levels. However, findings have been mixed. Some studies have found that cannabis use can lower blood sugar levels, while others have found it can raise them.

So am I arguing that Hyde may have diabetes? No, but you don’t need to be diabetic to pass out from low blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar level drops too low, your body doesn’t have enough glucose to fuel your brain and other organs.

Hyde claims he fainted, and that’s why he crashed into another human being. The judge is adamant that cannabis – and cannabis alone – is to blame. That cannabis-impaired driving kills, full stop.

Perhaps the truth is more nuanced. Maybe a person’s history and overall health will determine whether cannabis has a detrimental effect on blood sugar levels.

A 60-year-old man with a heavy foot? Who drank beer and smoked weed before driving 90km in a 50km residential zone? Who claims he fainted?

He could be a lying sack of shit who deserves life in prison. (While removing this judge from the bench and every other “soft on crime” bleeding-heart liberal activist).

Or Hyde could be a loser who, unfortunate for him and his victims, didn’t realize how low his blood sugar levels were on the day of the crash.