For all the Pot Fans living in denial about the growing use of marijuana nationwide, and the damage being done, please “down vote” the State of Massachusetts who says:
“Data showed marijuana to be the drug most frequently found in drivers involved in fatal crashes in Massachusetts between 2012 and 2016, officials said, also citing studies that pointed to increased marijuana-related traffic fatalities in states that previously legalized recreational cannabis.”
Hurray, more Deaths! (Liberals have all the answers . . .)
Whether someone is a ‘Pot Fan’ or not, legalization is coming soon to a State near you. Time for us to stop living in denial and develop an accurate and universal test for impairment.
So, let me get this straight: you think that more highway deaths are coming soon. You think that more addiction/suffering is coming soon. You think more brain damage from THC is coming soon.
And you think other people want this? Might want to do a compassion-check on yourself.
You don’t quite have it straight yet. I said legalization is coming soon. You said, “And you think other people want this?” According to most polls, yes, other people definitely want it. I think you live in California, no? Are you in denial of what a majority of people in your state want (and voted for)?
This article is all about trying to prevent the highway deaths scenario you mention. From the article: “…there is as yet no universally accepted scientific measurement for marijuana impairment. Traces of THC can also remain in a person’s blood system for days or even weeks, making it more difficult to accurately assess whether a motorist is high.”
This is one of the biggest hurdles to cracking down on MJ-impaired drivers. I believe it is already illegal to drive impaired (on ANY substance) in all 50 states.
People are largely ignorant of the dangers of marijuana. THAT is why they are in favor of legalization; no liberal will even stop for a second to warn low income folks – or anyone else – about the dangers.
People don’t even know who we fought in the Revolutionary War. You think they know that THC causes brain damage, dramatically increases the likelihood of serious mental illness, and can cause brain damage in unborn children? Of course they don’t.
You liberals talk more about access to cable TV (net neutrality) than you do about the dangers of pot. . .
August 10, 2018 at 4:13 pm
CCC says:
Like or Dislike:
8
1
I have always agreed with you that education of the dangers of MJ is important.
Regarding the Revolutionary War, here are some fun facts for you:
* The first two drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper, before the final version on animal parchment.
* 1776: Patriot wives and mothers organize “spinning bees” to clothe Washington’s troops, spinning the thread from hemp fibers. Without hemp, the Continental Army would have frozen to death at Valley Forge.
* Per some of his letters regarding male and female plants, it is likely George Washington used cannabis to alleviate the pain from his dentures.
* When America became independent in 1776, it became the law that every farmer must grow hemp, in the interests of national security, for the army had no garments and rope, while the navy could not set sail.
August 10, 2018 at 2:48 pm
Sam says:
Like or Dislike:
5
4
Hmmm! You have a drink and the effect is gone in an hour, or at least by the next day, and you shouldn’t drive. From this article, marijuana can stay in your system for days, or is that daze, both! The folks in Mass. know they have a problem on their hands.
The effects of MJ also wear off in a couple hours, Sam. The reason it stays in the system is because of its solubility. I’d encourage you to learn more about that.
It is illegal to drive on any substance in America. It is also illegal to drive if you have diabetes and are not regulating it properly – again, all 50 states. The problem that needs to be solved is exactly what Mass is talking about. MJ was found in the system, but there is no guarantee the person was high at the moment of impact. We need to be able to test for that. One cannot simply contribute the accident to the MJ being found in urine because the person may have ingested it weeks ago. No one should be operating while intoxicated. There are consequences for that and law enforcement is definitely on alert. The folks in Mass voted for this. It’s good they are warning their people about the dangers of operating while intoxicated. Last I knew, that was a positive message to share with your citizens.
No, the effects of marijuana dissipate after many more than a few hours, and there are long term effects that last for life. Your lies won’t be allowed to stand.
Calling something a lie doesn’t make it true? That makes no sense, so it proves my point about stoners. Thanks!
‘Get educated’ also proves my point. Try ‘edify yourself about…’.
August 13, 2018 at 9:05 am
NC P&C Agent says:
Like or Dislike:
0
6
That’s why IF we are going to have legal MJ, and IF we can’t determine “how high” someone is chemically yet, there should be NO TOLERANCE of MJ traces while driving. You have it in your system while driving and test positive, BAM, DWI. That’s simply a consequence of choosing to use said substance. Until we can know for sure this is the only way I know of to discourage driving while high. I’d like to hear other alternatives other than just hoping for the best and not allowing testing of drivers for MJ traces.
Even the NHTSA has stated that there is no way to really judge if someone is truly ‘impaired’ by this test and level.
“A number of states have set a THC limit … indicating that if a suspect’s THC concentration is above that level, … then the suspect is to be considered impaired,” the agency said in its report. “This per se limit appears to have been based on something other than scientific evidence.” https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/marijuana-impairment-testing/
The level that really gets you high is the level in your brain. Not your blood.
My opinion is the government should have no say in what I consume in my body. If I’m consuming it at home, and not driving, what difference does it make to them? The bottom line is you should drive high or drunk on any substance. And the government making it illegal/legal isn’t going to change people doing it anyways. So why waste our time and money on keeping it illegal?!
Keep rationalizing nonsense in order to push pot normalization. Colorado reported greater use.
Washington did too. Reputable national organizations do too (see NIDA stats.).
The State of Massacusetts said there were more traffic deaths caused by marijuana intoxication than ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE. You think they made it up? You think the drivers causing those deaths would have admitted being high on pot now, because it is “more socially acceptable”?
“Gee, Mr. Officer, sorry about the dead people. My bad. I’m high on weed. . .”
More use or more reported LEGAL use? Defining the term will answer your question. More LEGAL use will result in more related accidents and injuries because it can be transported more freely, enabling more people to use it while operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery while at work or in a public place where innocent co-workers or innocent pedestrians can be injured.
Fair enough. I’ll cool the name calling (despite the fact that you and I both know legalization is being pushed by the left, and accommodated by some on the right).
I have said many times that I would be in favor of legalization if: people knew the facts about the dangers. But people don’t know anything about the dangers, the reason usage has gone up for 10 years, the reason 20% of pregnant women consume THC (usually thinking it is actually good for them), the reason so many people on the IJ website attack me when I back up what I say with links to respected science; they are all ignorant and have more interest in defending their position (ie. their ego) than changing their position to protect people from harm.
The left (yes the left) won’t talk about the dangers because the only thing the left cares about is power; and talking truthfully about the dangers defeats their mission to legalize.
Dude: “The left” is no more name calling than “the right”.
If the left cared about the people they say they do, the poor and minorities, they would be doing everything possible to warn them about the dangers of marijuana.
But those efforts are completely non-existent. Prove me wrong. Find me one celebrity who is a well-known opponent of legalization. Find me one late night comic who has spent even 2 minutes warning their viewers that marijuana is a bigger danger to their lives than Trump is. Find me one pro athlete who has given even lip service to the idea that drugs, including marijuana, is making life worse for minorities.
Wait – you didn’t address the issue of replying to craig. And, what ‘names’ did craig call you and others who support recre-pot? IF you aren’t ignorant, as he claimed, then DEFEND YOURSELF WITH YOUR INTELLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE. IF you don’t, craig is correct in claiming you’re ignorant.
yeah, i get that, which is why i didn’t repost it. just saying i tried to defend myself, but i must have upset someone. my “lack” of a reply wasn’t an actual lack of reply and doesn’t prove craig was right simply because i didn’t post an ij-approved response
The Hound Labs device only measures exposure, not impairment. No one should drive impaired, but actual impairment should be measured, and the level of impairment from cannabis that is criminalized should be the same as the level of impairment for the blood alcohol limit. I have developed a new public health app that is a general measure of impairment from cannabis or any source–anything that impairs reaction time, hand-eye coordination, balance and the ability to perform divided attention tasks–it is called DRUID (an acronym for “DRiving Under the Influence of Drugs”) available now in the App Store and in Google Play. DRUID measures reaction time, decision making, hand-eye coordination, time estimation and balance, and then statistically integrates hundreds of data points into an overall impairment score. DRUID takes just 2 minutes.
After legalization in California, NORML of California added a link to DRUID on their website and encouraged cannabis users to download it. Our website is http://www.druidapp.com
DRUID allows cannabis users (or others who drink alcohol, use prescription drugs, etc.) to self-assess their own level of impairment and (hopefully) decide against driving if they are impaired. Prior to DRUID, there was no way for an individual to accurately assess their own level of impairment.
After obtaining my Ph.D. at Harvard, I have been a professor of psychology at UMass/Boston for the past 40 years, specializing in research methods, measurement and statistics.
Michael Milburn, Professor
Department of Psychology
UMass/Boston
___________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/dui-101-why-per-se-laws-work-for-alcohol-but-not-cannabis
“ If we want to get serious about measuring impairment we will need to move to devices that gauge impairment by testing cognitive and physical functionality, along the lines of the DRUID app”
Ian Mitchell–Ian Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He is the qualified investigator for a randomized controlled trail of vaporized cannabis for PTSD and a contributing editor for the Using Medical Cannabis journal. Follow him on LinkedIn or on Twitter @travels2little.
Isn’t is revealing that legalization took place before anyone was told about how to test for impairment? Even now, as much as I read – which is a lot – I had never heard of DRUID.
The legalization crowd is responsible for the increasing number of traffic deaths due to pot.
They spent all their time telling us about the groovy medical uses of cannabis and almost no time at all about the dangers.
Do the legalization folks take any responsibility for the downsides of THC, which are obviously significant? No. If they did, they would find ways to get the word out. People don’t watch PBS or listen to NPR. They listen to Lebron and Miley Cyrus.
All of your research and development is a good thing, and appreciated, as it enables a more objective measure of impairment of people. In turn, it enables legislators to develop objective standards of impairment when it is combined with kinetic studies of impaired humans. But you are mistaken if you think your studies alone are going to be accepted by the public when there is an underlying profit motive to legalize another dangerous organic substance beyond use for medical purposes, as well as profits from your devices / monitors. If you really want to make a difference, you should agree to cooperate with others who can tie impairment to the risks of accidents through scientific, controlled, unbiased studies.
Please cite the poll that indicated a MAJORITY of Republicans support RECRE-pot. Please distinguish between polls that differentiate between RECRE-Pot and MEDI-Pot.
Here is the poll showing majority of Americans including Republicans support legalized marijuana. I believe there have been others as well. Plus, as I said, Koch Brothers, Boehner and Trump support legalization, which I oppose.
Show me the poll that tells us how many Americans are aware that THC can cause brain damage, regular use of THC can dramatically increase your chances of mental illness, and the poll that shows how many Americans are aware of the concern that THC consumed by a pregnant woman may cause mental and behavioral problems in unborn children.
Americans are ignorant of the dangers. THAT is why they support legalization.
What definition of pot was used in the wording of those poll questions; medi-pot, recre-pot, or pot? You’ll be surprised when you find the actual survey via internet search.
Consumption of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and certain ratings movies are restricted to a minimum age requirement. Food, candy, and PG rated movies are not. Why?
Well, there’s no minimum age to buy scissors or forks or gasoline. Would you let little kids just play with those? Not sure how a minimum buying age determines something’s harmfulness.
But, as a good parent, I’m sure you’d limit how much food, candy, and movies they watched in a sitting, correct? Why is that? Because if you allowed too much, it could be harmful to a child’s health perhaps?
For all the Pot Fans living in denial about the growing use of marijuana nationwide, and the damage being done, please “down vote” the State of Massachusetts who says:
“Data showed marijuana to be the drug most frequently found in drivers involved in fatal crashes in Massachusetts between 2012 and 2016, officials said, also citing studies that pointed to increased marijuana-related traffic fatalities in states that previously legalized recreational cannabis.”
Hurray, more Deaths! (Liberals have all the answers . . .)
Whether someone is a ‘Pot Fan’ or not, legalization is coming soon to a State near you. Time for us to stop living in denial and develop an accurate and universal test for impairment.
So, let me get this straight: you think that more highway deaths are coming soon. You think that more addiction/suffering is coming soon. You think more brain damage from THC is coming soon.
And you think other people want this? Might want to do a compassion-check on yourself.
You don’t quite have it straight yet. I said legalization is coming soon. You said, “And you think other people want this?” According to most polls, yes, other people definitely want it. I think you live in California, no? Are you in denial of what a majority of people in your state want (and voted for)?
This article is all about trying to prevent the highway deaths scenario you mention. From the article: “…there is as yet no universally accepted scientific measurement for marijuana impairment. Traces of THC can also remain in a person’s blood system for days or even weeks, making it more difficult to accurately assess whether a motorist is high.”
This is one of the biggest hurdles to cracking down on MJ-impaired drivers. I believe it is already illegal to drive impaired (on ANY substance) in all 50 states.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
I have always agreed with you that education of the dangers of MJ is important.
Regarding the Revolutionary War, here are some fun facts for you:
* The first two drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper, before the final version on animal parchment.
* 1776: Patriot wives and mothers organize “spinning bees” to clothe Washington’s troops, spinning the thread from hemp fibers. Without hemp, the Continental Army would have frozen to death at Valley Forge.
* Per some of his letters regarding male and female plants, it is likely George Washington used cannabis to alleviate the pain from his dentures.
* When America became independent in 1776, it became the law that every farmer must grow hemp, in the interests of national security, for the army had no garments and rope, while the navy could not set sail.
Hmmm! You have a drink and the effect is gone in an hour, or at least by the next day, and you shouldn’t drive. From this article, marijuana can stay in your system for days, or is that daze, both! The folks in Mass. know they have a problem on their hands.
The effects of MJ also wear off in a couple hours, Sam. The reason it stays in the system is because of its solubility. I’d encourage you to learn more about that.
It is illegal to drive on any substance in America. It is also illegal to drive if you have diabetes and are not regulating it properly – again, all 50 states. The problem that needs to be solved is exactly what Mass is talking about. MJ was found in the system, but there is no guarantee the person was high at the moment of impact. We need to be able to test for that. One cannot simply contribute the accident to the MJ being found in urine because the person may have ingested it weeks ago. No one should be operating while intoxicated. There are consequences for that and law enforcement is definitely on alert. The folks in Mass voted for this. It’s good they are warning their people about the dangers of operating while intoxicated. Last I knew, that was a positive message to share with your citizens.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Calling something a lie, doesn’t make it true. Get educated on the subject and stop spouting nonsense just because you are against something
Calling something a lie doesn’t make it true? That makes no sense, so it proves my point about stoners. Thanks!
‘Get educated’ also proves my point. Try ‘edify yourself about…’.
That’s why IF we are going to have legal MJ, and IF we can’t determine “how high” someone is chemically yet, there should be NO TOLERANCE of MJ traces while driving. You have it in your system while driving and test positive, BAM, DWI. That’s simply a consequence of choosing to use said substance. Until we can know for sure this is the only way I know of to discourage driving while high. I’d like to hear other alternatives other than just hoping for the best and not allowing testing of drivers for MJ traces.
Even the NHTSA has stated that there is no way to really judge if someone is truly ‘impaired’ by this test and level.
“A number of states have set a THC limit … indicating that if a suspect’s THC concentration is above that level, … then the suspect is to be considered impaired,” the agency said in its report. “This per se limit appears to have been based on something other than scientific evidence.”
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/marijuana-impairment-testing/
The level that really gets you high is the level in your brain. Not your blood.
My opinion is the government should have no say in what I consume in my body. If I’m consuming it at home, and not driving, what difference does it make to them? The bottom line is you should drive high or drunk on any substance. And the government making it illegal/legal isn’t going to change people doing it anyways. So why waste our time and money on keeping it illegal?!
The bottom line is you *shouldn’t* drive high or drunk on any substance
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
counterpoint: is use really going up or are more people just admitting their use because it’s becoming more socially acceptable?
Keep rationalizing nonsense in order to push pot normalization. Colorado reported greater use.
Washington did too. Reputable national organizations do too (see NIDA stats.).
The State of Massacusetts said there were more traffic deaths caused by marijuana intoxication than ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE. You think they made it up? You think the drivers causing those deaths would have admitted being high on pot now, because it is “more socially acceptable”?
“Gee, Mr. Officer, sorry about the dead people. My bad. I’m high on weed. . .”
More use or more reported LEGAL use? Defining the term will answer your question. More LEGAL use will result in more related accidents and injuries because it can be transported more freely, enabling more people to use it while operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery while at work or in a public place where innocent co-workers or innocent pedestrians can be injured.
Fair enough. I’ll cool the name calling (despite the fact that you and I both know legalization is being pushed by the left, and accommodated by some on the right).
I have said many times that I would be in favor of legalization if: people knew the facts about the dangers. But people don’t know anything about the dangers, the reason usage has gone up for 10 years, the reason 20% of pregnant women consume THC (usually thinking it is actually good for them), the reason so many people on the IJ website attack me when I back up what I say with links to respected science; they are all ignorant and have more interest in defending their position (ie. their ego) than changing their position to protect people from harm.
The left (yes the left) won’t talk about the dangers because the only thing the left cares about is power; and talking truthfully about the dangers defeats their mission to legalize.
Wait – I’m confused. You start the post saying you’ll quit the name calling but continue with it in your last paragraph.
Dude: “The left” is no more name calling than “the right”.
If the left cared about the people they say they do, the poor and minorities, they would be doing everything possible to warn them about the dangers of marijuana.
But those efforts are completely non-existent. Prove me wrong. Find me one celebrity who is a well-known opponent of legalization. Find me one late night comic who has spent even 2 minutes warning their viewers that marijuana is a bigger danger to their lives than Trump is. Find me one pro athlete who has given even lip service to the idea that drugs, including marijuana, is making life worse for minorities.
Case closed.
Wait – you didn’t address the issue of replying to craig. And, what ‘names’ did craig call you and others who support recre-pot? IF you aren’t ignorant, as he claimed, then DEFEND YOURSELF WITH YOUR INTELLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE. IF you don’t, craig is correct in claiming you’re ignorant.
Down votes are objections that lack substance.
i did reply but apparently i hurt your feelings or the feelings of one of your running mates as my post was removed
You violated IJ rules. Not more complicated than that.
yeah, i get that, which is why i didn’t repost it. just saying i tried to defend myself, but i must have upset someone. my “lack” of a reply wasn’t an actual lack of reply and doesn’t prove craig was right simply because i didn’t post an ij-approved response
The Hound Labs device only measures exposure, not impairment. No one should drive impaired, but actual impairment should be measured, and the level of impairment from cannabis that is criminalized should be the same as the level of impairment for the blood alcohol limit. I have developed a new public health app that is a general measure of impairment from cannabis or any source–anything that impairs reaction time, hand-eye coordination, balance and the ability to perform divided attention tasks–it is called DRUID (an acronym for “DRiving Under the Influence of Drugs”) available now in the App Store and in Google Play. DRUID measures reaction time, decision making, hand-eye coordination, time estimation and balance, and then statistically integrates hundreds of data points into an overall impairment score. DRUID takes just 2 minutes.
DRUID was featured on the PBS News Hour (https://youtu.be/U_uq_9_M80E?t=10m9s) and in Wired magazine: https://www.wired.com/story/portable-field-sobriety-tests/
After legalization in California, NORML of California added a link to DRUID on their website and encouraged cannabis users to download it. Our website is http://www.druidapp.com
DRUID allows cannabis users (or others who drink alcohol, use prescription drugs, etc.) to self-assess their own level of impairment and (hopefully) decide against driving if they are impaired. Prior to DRUID, there was no way for an individual to accurately assess their own level of impairment.
See also NPR’s All Things Considered: http://www.npr.org/2017/01/25/511595978/can-sobriety-tests-weed-out-drivers-whove-smoked-too-much-weed
Also on television: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2017/02/28/science-lags-behind-marijuana-impairment-testing/
And this past December on Spokane Public Radio: http://nwpr.org/post/progress-made-marijuana-intoxication-measurement-tool-0
After obtaining my Ph.D. at Harvard, I have been a professor of psychology at UMass/Boston for the past 40 years, specializing in research methods, measurement and statistics.
Michael Milburn, Professor
Department of Psychology
UMass/Boston
___________________________________________________________________________________
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/dui-101-why-per-se-laws-work-for-alcohol-but-not-cannabis
“ If we want to get serious about measuring impairment we will need to move to devices that gauge impairment by testing cognitive and physical functionality, along the lines of the DRUID app”
Ian Mitchell–Ian Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He is the qualified investigator for a randomized controlled trail of vaporized cannabis for PTSD and a contributing editor for the Using Medical Cannabis journal. Follow him on LinkedIn or on Twitter @travels2little.
Isn’t is revealing that legalization took place before anyone was told about how to test for impairment? Even now, as much as I read – which is a lot – I had never heard of DRUID.
The legalization crowd is responsible for the increasing number of traffic deaths due to pot.
They spent all their time telling us about the groovy medical uses of cannabis and almost no time at all about the dangers.
Do the legalization folks take any responsibility for the downsides of THC, which are obviously significant? No. If they did, they would find ways to get the word out. People don’t watch PBS or listen to NPR. They listen to Lebron and Miley Cyrus.
All of your research and development is a good thing, and appreciated, as it enables a more objective measure of impairment of people. In turn, it enables legislators to develop objective standards of impairment when it is combined with kinetic studies of impaired humans. But you are mistaken if you think your studies alone are going to be accepted by the public when there is an underlying profit motive to legalize another dangerous organic substance beyond use for medical purposes, as well as profits from your devices / monitors. If you really want to make a difference, you should agree to cooperate with others who can tie impairment to the risks of accidents through scientific, controlled, unbiased studies.
Please cite the poll that indicated a MAJORITY of Republicans support RECRE-pot. Please distinguish between polls that differentiate between RECRE-Pot and MEDI-Pot.
Apparently, someone forgot to review the details of the Rasmussen polls to see what was asked!
Here is the poll showing majority of Americans including Republicans support legalized marijuana. I believe there have been others as well. Plus, as I said, Koch Brothers, Boehner and Trump support legalization, which I oppose.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/221018/record-high-support-legalizing-marijuana.aspx
Show me the poll that tells us how many Americans are aware that THC can cause brain damage, regular use of THC can dramatically increase your chances of mental illness, and the poll that shows how many Americans are aware of the concern that THC consumed by a pregnant woman may cause mental and behavioral problems in unborn children.
Americans are ignorant of the dangers. THAT is why they support legalization.
Try me. Show me the poll. (ZZZZZZ) All hat, no horse.
What definition of pot was used in the wording of those poll questions; medi-pot, recre-pot, or pot? You’ll be surprised when you find the actual survey via internet search.
If recre-pot is harmless, why is there a Minimum Age to buy it in the several states that legalized it in contradiction to Federal law?
Consumption of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and certain ratings movies are restricted to a minimum age requirement. Food, candy, and PG rated movies are not. Why?
Should be ‘G’ rated movies instead of ‘PG’. bear culpa.
Well, there’s no minimum age to buy scissors or forks or gasoline. Would you let little kids just play with those? Not sure how a minimum buying age determines something’s harmfulness.
But, as a good parent, I’m sure you’d limit how much food, candy, and movies they watched in a sitting, correct? Why is that? Because if you allowed too much, it could be harmful to a child’s health perhaps?