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Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

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Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#171

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

studies have shown that people driving under the influence of marijuana are extremely careful. alcohol is complete opposite.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#172
post #115
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would question the claim that Americans are bad drivers in general. Compared to driving I've seen in other countries (particularly India, China), even the worst drivers I've seen in America aren't so bad. And the worst drivers in America I know personally are not actually Americans but internationals. Maybe we are generally worse compared to other western countries but my experience suggests the prevalence of drivi…

I'd definitely say American drivers, as a whole, are less prepared for and take too lightly the responsibility of driving a car. It is far too easy to get a license in this country: My test consisted of me, at sixteen years old, going around a suburban block with very little traffic at about 35 miles an hour, followed by a brief parallel parking test (a test I consider far less relevant than, say, being able to merge…

The skill and spatial awareness of the vehicle necessary to cope with this sort of environment is far greater than that needed to deal with even the most demanding driving environments of America.

One day, I lucked out and found street parking near the convention center in Houston. I had to drive forwards then back into the unmarked space, which was obscured from view by the angle. I make sure to leave a good three feet of space from the car behind, and observe that there's space behind that car too. A few hours later, we come back to the car, and there's a woman in the car behind on the phone complaining about being "parked in."

(What's more, if you cranked up the stereotype dial when you imagine the scene, you'd be pretty accurate. No pickup truck, though. It was one of those Chrysler 300 style cars.) [heavy sigh]

EDIT: Contrast the above with what I observed in Sligo, Ireland, taking the bus to see some archaeological site. At this one bus stop on those twisty little roads, the mother and her child getting off the bus had to back up and flatten against the wall while the driver maneuvered out of this one bend in the road. If the driver had been wrong by a foot and a half -- and mind you, this is a full sized city bus -- he would've crushed them against the wall. Apparently, this was a regular occurrence!

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed on the whole driving bit - but commensurately, whenever I'm in the US, I am astonished by how casually people drink and drive. Don't think it's a stoner problem, more an inconsiderate dickhead/cultural problem.

One of the interesting thing about moving from the US to Ireland was that it went from being acceptable to have a couple of beers and then drive, to people maybe having one mid-strength Guinness, if that (some reasonable exception for parties where you were hanging out for several hours). I find I prefer it here. Also, it's worth noting the limit for your first two years of having a licence is 0.02%, and they require…

Caveat - I live in Dublin. I understand people are a little more accepting of a couple drinks in the country.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#174
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed on the whole driving bit - but commensurately, whenever I'm in the US, I am astonished by how casually people drink and drive. Don't think it's a stoner problem, more an inconsiderate dickhead/cultural problem.

I'm American, and I think it's neither. It's more that in almost all of the country, the alternatives to drinking and driving work so badly that it's a better option, even with the risks. I think we're positively pathological about it in a way - we're all about punishment and stricter penalties, but nobody cares about making the alternatives suck less. I drink pretty frequently, and I go to a lot of effort to never d…

As an American, I don't drive drunk, and I don't find it painful. Drink somewhere close to home, call a cab. If I can get drunk at a bar, which will costs me $50+, I can certainly afford a $5-10 cab ride.

That said, I've heard that in Japan, it's the bar's responsibility to get you home safely. They take it very seriously, but you pay extra at the club to account for it.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cannabis is thought to have an anti-carcinogenic effect, which is neat, but you'd still be at risk for emphysema and other kinds of lung diseases just from the physical impact of the smoke. Edible cannabis seems a lot safer in that respect but of course it's harder to gauge the dose, it's longer-lasting due to the different metabolic pathway, and it doesn't have the instant gratification of smoking. On the up side yo…

Vaporization.

I was going to include that but I don't really know whether or not it's safer - inhaling cleaner but hotter vapor also strikes me as potentially problematic.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> drive under the influence The research about Marijuana's impact on driving is inconclusive, but there are indications that it might have no negative impact (for the most recent example: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1667... ) and even that it might reduce risks of crashes. As a result, it's unfortunate that it's apparently socially acceptable to assume without question that marijuana has a…

I couldn't disagree more strongly with the claim that it's "unfortunate" for people to assume, in the absence of strong evidence to the contrary, that drugs associated with impaired cognitive function probably don't mix with activity as potentially lethal as driving. Especially since the balance of the evidence you've linked to appears to support that assumption. It's not as if "there is at least some level of mariju…

That position depends on the assumption that criminalization is benign. However, it's entirely possible that criminalization harms more lives and creates a greater strain on society than the act itself, as has very likely been the case with the broader criminalization of marijuana.

Defaulting to the position of criminalization regardless of the evidence, particularly in this context given the history and impact of existing marijuana policy, will likely perpetuate the creation of flawed policy.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#177
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post #157

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In Australia we have rolled out widespread "booze busses" which block off major roads and breathalize everyone who comes through. This + major advertising campaigns have had a significant impact on drunk driving. I am surprised at the lack of these kinds of measures in the US - and how casually most people treat drink driving. These booze busses have now extended to testing for marijuana and methamphetamine, though n…

There's plenty of roadblocks in the US. It's often argued they violate the constitution--that police are stopping every car for no reason. Police get around that by calling it a "safety check." There's plenty of videos about how to "beat" them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLmKl60VrWM You can see from this video that the cops are clearly violating rights, and someone who knows what their rights are can stand up fo…

I've done a fair bit of driving (mostly in California) and never been through a roadblock. I've also never seen any booze busses or similar.

I've seen those videos too - are you saying it's unconstitutional to stop drivers to do a breathalyser?

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#178
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You make it sound like noone has analyzed cannabis smoke. Do you really believe that? Obviously they have. Here's an easy read summary. http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?question... The interesting one is: > Dale Gieringer, PhD, State Coordinator of the California National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), stated in his 2004 article "Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Deliver…

> You make it sound like noone has analyzed cannabis smoke. That's your interpretation, but it's not my assertion. I've long wondered where the measurable health impact of marijuana smokers is. At the rates Americans consume it, shouldn't we be able to measure it the way we measure effects of tobacco and alcohol? Or is that more opportunity lost to prohibition?

What was your assertion, then? Because I made the same interpretation.

I think the answer to "do we know that?" was "yes, we know that."

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a nice, made-up anecdote you have there.

Fair enough. I suppose you are sitting on the evidence belying it?

An assertion on either side needs evidence, right?

He simply pointed out that it's an anecdote.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#180
post #165

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

It's my estimate, as a non-user, that someone would drive much better under the influence of marijuana than alcohol, especially at the extremes. It's also my estimate that many drivers at .08 BAC or under the influence of marijuana are far superior drivers than some other drivers who are 100% sober. So why isn't the line drawn based on driving ability or driving performance rather than mental state? I can see some ob…

Driving under the influence is dangerous because it affects your judgement and your reaction times - much like driving while tired. The danger is not as present in familiar, safe conditions, but when something unexpected happens that puts you in a potentially dangerous situation. If you are driving under the influence your decision-making is impaired and you are more likely to make the wrong decision and be involved in an accident. So perhaps there are some people who drive better under the influence than others who are sober, but that says nothing about their ability to react to dangerous situations.

> So why isn't the line drawn based on driving ability or driving performance rather than mental state?

Reckless/careless driving is a traffic violation that can result in loss of license.

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