Pot is legal in CO and WA

I am all for the legalization of marijuana, but here's my question. How will it be monitored when it comes to vehicular use? I say this, because, I know there were times when I used to smoke that it was not safe for me to be behind the wheel. Fortunately, I had the common sense to wait it out, but not everyone does/will. Atleast with alcohol, there is a system that can relatively determine how intoxicated someone is and have proof to hold them accountable in court. However, there's not really a way to tell, how high someone is. Is there?

Good question, actually. They can do a blood test, I know that. Not sure what the procedures, consent forms, and issues with level in blood versus level of impairment are, though.

Bwahaha! I love this.

hopefully these new laws will help loosen the strangehold that big pharma has on our medical industry!

they haven't wanted weed to be legal for decades. solves too many problems they're getting rich off of.

I have to throw my support out for this one. Look at the details.

1) Marajuana is easily made, companies could make this stuff on the penny and still ensure far better standards than trusting a local pusher.

2) On the same note, pushers and gangs will loose a good bit in income since the cheapest, easiest drug on the market in these states can now be openly and freely sold.

3) Even homegrown, it puts a lot of the desperate measures to keep it to pasture.

Tax? Sure, with the number of actual users, the taxes would be a serious boost. Regulate? Why not, don't wanna see someone smoking that and driving. Same deal with Alcohol. Alternative? Well, I still think smoking anything will kill ya, but at least its better than smoking a pack of cigs a day! Long term, though? If the states did this, a MASSIVE chunk of the black market would fall through. The benefits, in my opinion, far outweigh the costs.

Also, yes, almost any drug is gonna mess you up. In my mind, though, you can dip into it if you want as long as it doesn't damage your life in society.

<snip>

For me personally, I have a joint (yes joint) disorder that causes me excruciating pain daily. There is no real way to treat it, practically no doctors will see you for treatment and It effects my diet, speech and life greatly. The most common treatment is muscle relaxers or pain pills, both of which can be expensive, addictive and many doctors won't prescribe them long term. Marijuana is the ONLY thing that has helped me manage the pain and symptoms. It's natural, non-addictive and has improved my quality of life. Until a person lives with pain so bad that they average 2-3 hours of sleep, cry out daily and nightly in pain that is so bad they feel like they will pass out, and live with that pain daily, they have NO RIGHT to tell me I can't take a natural supplement to help me live a bit better.

My husband has Crohn's disease, and his GI doctor has told him flat-out, "Clearly it's working. I wish I could prescribe it."

Once you have been there, or watched a loved one suffer from the side effects of the dangerous prescription drugs that masquerade as medicine these days, you can't help but be outraged that it was *EVER* made illegal in the first place. Cannabis oil used to be found in nearly every medicine bag in America.

Yes. I want to get a prescription...there are docs in CA that hand them out like candy. However, the little card they give you is tracked by the feds. And, since it's still illegal at the federal level, I think it is a huge mistake to go that route. The feds could come at any time and bust EVERYONE. They can, and I think they will, one day. I truly believe this.

My mom, who was straight as an arrow, but had breast cancer, tried it for a while, and said it really helped a lot with nasau (sp?) from chemo therapy. If I was in that state, yeah, I wouldn't care. But, since I'm healthy, it just scares me. Until the feds back off, I'm staying away from it. I don't care if the state of CA legalizes it. The feds have jurisdiction, and that scares the bageesus out of me.

Feds will step in and overrule it, sad but true.

Maybe it is at the State Level... but those states will still have to contend with the Federal Government on this issue.

This is what happened with alcohol prohibition. Cannabis prohibition is just a repeat of history. Once the majority of states have changed their laws, the Feds will have to end their war against us.

Personally, I'm in recovery. I lost custody of my children for this and had to FIGHT above and beyond what you might imagine to get them back. I won that war. Even if they make it legal, I don't know if I would ever go back to using it. It cost me much more pain and grief than it was ever worth.

Besides... if you think the tobacco sales tax is high, just wait until they are finished with this.

Yes, more to come for sure. Prohibition is in the death throes, so in the final gasp for breath, a lot of people will get hurt, unfortunately.

I'm sorry to hear about the issue with your kids. This is another reason that we have to change the policies. You can smoke tobacco and drink vodka in front of your kids, but mere possession of a dried flower makes you an unfit parent? Really?

And since my husband uses it to keep his Crohn's in remission, I have no plans to stop buying it. Ever. I would like to grow out own, but it's too risky in Missouri. Even one plant is a felony here. :sad:

I am all for the legalization of marijuana, but here's my question. How will it be monitored when it comes to vehicular use? I say this, because, I know there were times when I used to smoke that it was not safe for me to be behind the wheel. Fortunately, I had the common sense to wait it out, but not everyone does/will. Atleast with alcohol, there is a system that can relatively determine how intoxicated someone is and have proof to hold them accountable in court. However, there's not really a way to tell, how high someone is. Is there?

It's pretty easy to tell if someone is impaired, simply observe their driving. If they are following all traffic laws and appear to be driving in a safe manner, then there is no problem to solve.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/11/legalising-marijuana?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/viewfromMexico


The mexican drug cartels took a big hit (pun!) today

Ha! I totally agree!

I am all for the legalization of marijuana, but here's my question. How will it be monitored when it comes to vehicular use? I say this, because, I know there were times when I used to smoke that it was not safe for me to be behind the wheel. Fortunately, I had the common sense to wait it out, but not everyone does/will. Atleast with alcohol, there is a system that can relatively determine how intoxicated someone is and have proof to hold them accountable in court. However, there's not really a way to tell, how high someone is. Is there?

Watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Fcks7pla0

I've watched many documentaries where the drunk/sober/high driving test was done. Almost every time, the high driver was most aware and driving the safest.

That's a good video, and I can see how they got those results. I have a lot of friends who are regular smokers and have no problem driving whatsoever. I just know that, in my personal experience, I could not drive, so I can't possibly be the only one. Maybe it's something that comes with more regular use? But legalizing it means now there could be a lot of people who didn't want to risk breaking the law and now, they can try it out but nothing is keeping them off the road. Let's just hope they're paranoid enough to stay indoors...

I am all for the legalization of marijuana, but here's my question. How will it be monitored when it comes to vehicular use? I say this, because, I know there were times when I used to smoke that it was not safe for me to be behind the wheel. Fortunately, I had the common sense to wait it out, but not everyone does/will. Atleast with alcohol, there is a system that can relatively determine how intoxicated someone is and have proof to hold them accountable in court. However, there's not really a way to tell, how high someone is. Is there?

Unfortunately, a urine or blood test won't work because pot stays in the system for awhile, even though the effects are usually gone within hours. They'll have to rely on keen observation, just like they would if someone were driving while high on Vicodin or heroin or something. It'll still be an OWI, just like it is now.

I am all for the legalization of marijuana, but here's my question. How will it be monitored when it comes to vehicular use? I say this, because, I know there were times when I used to smoke that it was not safe for me to be behind the wheel. Fortunately, I had the common sense to wait it out, but not everyone does/will. Atleast with alcohol, there is a system that can relatively determine how intoxicated someone is and have proof to hold them accountable in court. However, there's not really a way to tell, how high someone is. Is there?

Watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Fcks7pla0

I've watched many documentaries where the drunk/sober/high driving test was done. Almost every time, the high driver was most aware and driving the safest.

That's a good video, and I can see how they got those results. I have a lot of friends who are regular smokers and have no problem driving whatsoever. I just know that, in my personal experience, I could not drive, so I can't possibly be the only one. Maybe it's something that comes with more regular use? But legalizing it means now there could be a lot of people who didn't want to risk breaking the law and now, they can try it out but nothing is keeping them off the road. Let's just hope they're paranoid enough to stay indoors...

I think it depends. For a person with no tolerance, just with with alcohol, just a little bit may make them a bad driver. I know some light-weights that should not drive after ONE alcoholic beverage. Then I know some who could drink 10 and be fine to drive. Same goes for pot.

More on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiBvFZFrTCQ

<snip>

For me personally, I have a joint (yes joint) disorder that causes me excruciating pain daily. There is no real way to treat it, practically no doctors will see you for treatment and It effects my diet, speech and life greatly. The most common treatment is muscle relaxers or pain pills, both of which can be expensive, addictive and many doctors won't prescribe them long term. Marijuana is the ONLY thing that has helped me manage the pain and symptoms. It's natural, non-addictive and has improved my quality of life. Until a person lives with pain so bad that they average 2-3 hours of sleep, cry out daily and nightly in pain that is so bad they feel like they will pass out, and live with that pain daily, they have NO RIGHT to tell me I can't take a natural supplement to help me live a bit better.

My husband has Crohn's disease, and his GI doctor has told him flat-out, "Clearly it's working. I wish I could prescribe it."

Once you have been there, or watched a loved one suffer from the side effects of the dangerous prescription drugs that masquerade as medicine these days, you can't help but be outraged that it was *EVER* made illegal in the first place. Cannabis oil used to be found in nearly every medicine bag in America.

Yes. I want to get a prescription...there are docs in CA that hand them out like candy. However, the little card they give you is tracked by the feds. And, since it's still illegal at the federal level, I think it is a huge mistake to go that route. The feds could come at any time and bust EVERYONE. They can, and I think they will, one day. I truly believe this.

My mom, who was straight as an arrow, but had breast cancer, tried it for a while, and said it really helped a lot with nasau (sp?) from chemo therapy. If I was in that state, yeah, I wouldn't care. But, since I'm healthy, it just scares me. Until the feds back off, I'm staying away from it. I don't care if the state of CA legalizes it. The feds have jurisdiction, and that scares the bageesus out of me.

They can't actually bust "everyone" because there are not enough of them and too many of us. Did you know that there are only about 300 DEA agents? Compare that to 50 million users. The DEA actually *needs* state and local law enforcement assistance in most cases. Without the local and state cops to help, the feds are doomed.

Check the history of how alcohol prohibition ended. It was several states refusing to comply with federal law. The federal government exists because the states allow it. The states can actually nullify federal law by refusing to comply.

I don't smoke it (although I did for years), but it should be legal, and taxed.

Stoners rejoice. they can now smoke marijuana like they smoke cigarettes. The American IQ just took a big hit. What do you think?

The benefits of marijuana are so great that this could NEVER be a bad thing. It cures cancer, it helps very sick people who cannot get relief from any man-made chemical and it end crime when legalized. Drug legalization = income from tax revenue and ending gang/cartel crime.

YAY!

Wow it cures cancer? Does the FDA and do all scientists working on a cure know this?

Only in Europe apparently.

Also the FDA is *NOT* trying to cure cancer. Ever.

Yeah, the FDA has also destroyed many studies showing that the effects of second hand cigarette smoke are a minimal risk to the public, Yet look at what has happened with the smoking bans. The FDA has no purpose to the people other than making money and being corrupt.