Reply to Montgomery Co. readies for impact of new statewide marijuana law

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As if we didn’t have enough problems with education, we decided to add drugs in the mix.  It sounds like they haven’t fully researched the effects of exposure to kids, but what they do know is pretty dire.

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-should-know-about-using-cannabis-including-cbd-when-pregnant-or-breastfeeding
https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/second-hand-smoke.html

Then, let’s make a drug legal.  Surely people who are stoned will have the good sense not to drive under the influence, after all Maryland drivers are known as paragons of safety.  It may be illegal to drive under the influence, but without a legal limit or reliable test, how is that enforceable?
https://www.wbaltv.com/amp/article/cannabis-impaired-driving-weed-marijuana-police-baltimore-county/44309574

I still don’t understand how this passed, and by such a wide margin.  Are 2/3 of voters really addicted to marijuana?  I support access to medical marijuana, but legalizing recreational use is an insanity that will be a disaster for our state.
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Officers can still perform roadside sobriety tests despite your fear mongering. If a person is driving dangerously you don’t need a drug test to prove it.[/quote]

But a test/limit sets a reference point.  If a stoned driver is trying to make a qualitative judgement on whether or not his judgement is too impaired to drive, I suspect his judgement is likely to be too impaired to make an objective determination.  With alcohol, people know there’s an objective limit and can plan accordingly.  Even so, we still have problems with drunk driving.

Granted, if a person is driving dangerously, whether or not they’re under the influence of anything, they can be held accountable.  However, to get to that point, other drivers (not to mention cyclists, pedestrians, etc.) have been out at risk.  Before we increase the danger by opening the floodgate to marijuana, I just think we need to preemptively consider standards that their drug-addled brains might possibly consider before they climb behind the will.

As for fear mongering, data shows that legalizing marijuana makes the roads more dangerous.  According to this article, that’s due, in part, to prople not fully appreciating the degree of impairment.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-07-19/where-pot-became-legal-car-crash-deaths-rose-study
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Yes, fear mongering. Your own citation reads:

“Farmer doesn't believe marijuana legalization is the only cause of rising collision rates, and the study can't prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. And unlike alcohol testing, there are no objective measures of impairment linked to marijuana, so it's not possible to accurately account for the role marijuana plays in car crashes, he said.

The changes in crash rates varied by state: Colorado had the biggest jump (18%) and California the smallest (6%) after both legalization and the start of retail sales. [b]Nevada’s rate fell (7%[/b]). For fatal crashes, increases occurred in Colorado (1%) and Oregon (4%), while [b]declines were found in Washington (2%), California (8%) and Nevada (10%)[/b].”

You are clearly fear mongering when you knowingly frame this kind of statistical data as conclusive when the truth is that these are very complex issues that are not so simple.

One thing that I know for a fact is that many good and kind people will no longer face jail time and financial ruin for merely consuming cannabis. That is a good thing.

I can see your true intent with your “drug addled brain” comment and I am aware that all of this concern trolling is mostly about personal hate against cannabis users. Do you question the judgment of your work colleagues who drink at night and then start off with a dose of caffeine first thing in the morning?
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