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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][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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I don’t think drinking in moderation at home (ex. a glasd of wine or a beer with dinner) is necessarily a problem.  I do question the judgement of someone who gets drunk.  I think anyone who drives while drunk is displaying a complete lack of judgement.

I’m not sure what your point is with the coffee.  I don’t think drinking coffee is a cause to question someone’s judgement.  I wouldn’t expect it to be a cure for intoxication, but presumably my hypothetical drinking coworkers would have slept off the alcohol.  If despite sleep (and coffee), their hangover is so severe they can’t fulfill their responsibilities, then yes, I would say they used faulty judgement.

FWIW, my freshman year of college, I was not a caffeine drinker.  I abhorred coffee and soda, and didn’t particularly like tea, so my tolerance was very low.  Everyone I knew drank copious amounts of coffee, so it didn’t occur to me it could be problematic.  During exams, I stayed up all night drinking coffee and chasing it with M&Ms.  I had no idea anything was wrong until i finished studying and tried to rest a little before class.  My entire body was vibrating and I was certain I was going to have a heart attack.  I consider that was a case where my judgement was bad, but I learned and was more careful from then on.  I would also note that I didn’t drive in that condition.

I do not hate cannabis users.  I do however hate needless suffering and death.  This debate is reminding me of the gun debate.  I don’t hate gun owners, but I hate the suffering and death that easy access to guns allows.  I think both cannabis and guns are dangerous substances that need to be restricted.[/quote]

You are also allowing yourself the luxury of choice regarding your personal caffeine intake despite experiencing negative effects. You self regulated. Cannabis users can do the same.

You also compared cannabis to guns after voicing your support for adults to consume alcohol as they see fit. So alcohol and caffeine are fine even if you feel some level of scorn, yet cannabis is a dangerous substance [sic] like guns and should be restricted by force of law. Why wouldn’t that come across as hating cannabis users?

At any rate, I think you will just have to learn how to adjust your expectations because cannabis is now legal for recreational use. [/quote]

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