THC in Martin's system? How about the drugs Zimmerman was on prior to the shooting?

[vaberella]

This irritated me to no end. The apologists for Zimmerman went on and on about the THC found in Martin's system. They go even as far to find rather questionable articles (some from Government websites with agendas) to push their views. That's all well and good.

What I found irritating was that many said, "they are waiting to see the case go to trial" or some such rut. When I asked why then the push of evidence supporting Zimmerman but not ALL the evidence being looked at, I get nothing.

One of these pieces of evidence was pointed out by mother earth in another thread (http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002698931#post18 and post 20). I was hoping s/he would have made it's own thread so it can be as scrutinized as the THC in Martin threads. Many apologists or some people then, seemed to push this idea that the THC may have made Martin aggressive and violent and hence the look of Zimmerman.

However, if we go back to the phone call to the dispatcher...by his own words there was plenty to be afraid of Martin. Zimmerman says Martin looked like he was on drugs, he was carrying something unidentifiable, going as far as to make him look unsavory and dangerous. Yet, when the boy runs. Martin gets out of his car and persues him. If you feared for your life, you would never leave your car. If you feared this person was a dangerous person --- I will never believe that someone, in their right mind, would approach someone they described as dangerous and could be weilding a weapon for all I know. I would wait for the cops by the entrance or go home and lock my doors.

I'm not suggesting that I know what is going on in the mind of Zimmerman. I just think a bit of logic is needed here in how this instigated---feeling threatened is not justification for killing Martin. Because one should have felt threatened by the mere description of Martin before engaging him.

Further more, if the THC in Martin's blood is up for debate and could have turned him into a aggressive maniac with MMA skills to beat Zimmerman to a pulp. What makes Zimmerman's anti-depressants off-limits? Couldn't they have turned him into an aggressor as well. This is part of the evidence some people forgot to post in wanting to relay the full evidence out there. Obviously some evidence is more important than others, especially if it helps Zimmerman.

Here is the quote and link to the article:

ABC News reported on Wednesday that Zimmerman sought an appointment with his family doctor to get legal clearance to return to work, which Crump said is a clear indication that Zimmerman was not as badly hurt as he claimed.

The leaked report said Zimmerman was taking the prescription drugs Adderall, which is prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, and Temazepam, an insomnia medication, said Crump.

“He was on uppers and downers at the same time,” the attorney said. “These are medications that can cause side effects such as agitation, delusions and mood swings. That’s what he was on prior to the shooting. The question becomes, did those drugs have an effect on George Zimmerman the night he shot and killed Trayvon Martin?”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/new-trayvon-martin-evidence_n_1525285.html

[uponit7771]

1. I hate the M$M at this time, they are under reporting the amount being residual...

...and trying to paint the pic that Martin was high but that would only bolster claims that he didn't start the altercation because when is the last time I saw a high person start a fight of some kind.


Either way, the M$M doesn't like the stories of people dying because of overt racism....


Sits in their craw

[vaberella]

2. These are prescribed meds...how are they residual.

Not to mention how dangerous is this guy on or off the meds.

[HopeHoops]

4. Temazepam is a benzodiazepine with a half-life of 8-20 hours.

It's highly addictive and you do build up a tolerance and stable presence if you take it regularly. So yes, "residual" is an appropriate term. Adderall also has a half-life but it is shorter (and heavily depends on the dosage). It isn't uncommon to combine a stimulant with a benny or other downer because stimulants often are the cause of insomnia. Still, that's a bad combination of drugs in the context of driving or holding a gun. I don't know about Florida, but in PA you face DUI charges for driving with Schedule I to IV drugs in your system even if you have a prescription. Adderall is a Schedule II and Temazepam is a Schedule IV so yeah, he didn't want to have blood drawn for a good reason.

[riverwalker]

3. I think the reason Zimmerman avoided the hospital

that night, was because he didn't want blood drawn. The first responders usually ask about medications, and have an instinct about people under influence (pupils, speech, behavior etc.). Again, the one report I am waiting for is from the paramedics at the scene, who assessed Zimmerman.

[KamaAina]

5. THC stays in your system for weeks

so they've managed to prove that Trayvon toked occasionally. Yeah, that's a perfectly valid reason to hunt him down like an animal and kill him in cold blood. :Sarcasm:

[CatWoman]

6. YES

it can stay in your system for up to six weeks.

[Blue_Tires]

7. It'll never happen, but I'd love to have a psychological profile on Zimmerman

that could be more revealing than a drugs test

[robinlynne]

8. smoking marijuana does not make people aggressive. It makes people passive and calm. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Just what I was thinking (nt)

[NoGOPZone]

10. About that THC

Dr. Michael Policastro, a toxicologist, cautioned against reading too much into the blood THC levels, adding that one cannot make a direct correlation between those findings and a level of intoxication.

He also noted levels of THC, which can linger in a person's system for days, can spike after death in certain areas of the body because of redistribution.

And Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction specialist who hosts a show on CNN's sister network HLN, added that marijuana typically does not make users more aggressive.

Concentrations of THC routinely rise to 100 to 200 ng/ml after marijuana use, though it typically falls to below 5 ng/ml within three hours of it being smoked, according to information on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/17/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html

[uppityperson]

11. Well, there you have it. It wasn't zimmy's fault but the drugs he was on! sarcasm

[vaberella]

12. That could be the excuse, right.

But notice how the apologists don't use that for Trayvon. He's automatically a delinquent. I personally point this out because if this guy is taking these meds, he probably had some sort of mental issues that made him act out from time to time. No way to plead insanity, but he has acted out before and he can now. But you'll notice the apologists make threads for Trayvon to convince people of his violent tendacies through MJ, but nothing for Zimmerman and his meds. He's a victim, of course.