If we legalize POT how would it work? Some Questions.

[KansasVoter]

Would people be able to smoke it anywhere you can smoke cigarettes or only at home? I can see people not wanting it smoked in a bar even if cigarettes were smoked there.

How would the police test for DUI type levels in drivers? Are urine tests accurate enough?

I can't see this ever happening in the next 20 years. But jail time for pot is insane!

[vadawg]

1. who cares pass the brownies

but seriously, if i stop you and suspect you are driving whilst baked, then i can perform a sobriety test on you, you can then be arrested if i believe you are dui, if your BAC is 0, then i start to suspect drugs, i can get a court order, or you can voluntary give me blood, or some states have implied consent when you get a licence that you will give up a sample if requested, to not do so gives you a bigger fine and suspension than a dui charge.

[paulsby]

2. several options

1) decrim is at least as likely, if not more so vs. outright legalization. that would make it a civil infraction, so you could get a fine, and wouldbn't want to do it in public.

considering that my (unfortunately) nannystate politicians in my area (dems unfortunately can be statists too) local pols have banned smoking cigs even in private businesses, there is no reason why they couldn't do something similar with mj, even if legalized.

imo, as somebody who is more libertarian - i think it should be the PRIVATE BUSINESSES decision on whether to allow smoking (Cigs, mJ whatever), not governments (given that if pot was legalized).


2) we ALREADY test for DUI for pot smokers, etc. the standard is the DRE level of training. i arrested a guy the other day for DUI drugs (not mj... it was morphine and clonazepam iirc).

legalizing pot would have ZERO effect on DUI laws. alcohol isn't illegal. but it's illegal to drive while impaired by alcohol.

we don't use urine to test for pot with drivers. we use blood tests.

[vadawg]

5. you on the job paulsby

[paulsby]

9. yes nt

[KansasVoter]

24. Thanks for the info. I didn't know about the DRE test! (nt)

[Baikonour]

3. Urine tests aren't necessary. It's pretty easy to tell if someone is stoned.

Personally, I think decriminalization is the first step. Then we can take the next step.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. It's pretty easy to tell if someone is stoned. test ..place Ftitos at arms length and

observe reaction....

[greyl]

16. Or, ask them to spell Fritos. ;) nt

[vadawg]

8. we just put a plate of cookies in a locked cell and the stoner

will find a way in within 20 mins, viola dudes guilty of DUI

[ellisD]

21. But your Honor I'm not a stoner, I'm diabetic

O8)

[Tx4obama]

4. Doesn't matter...

because the only thing that will be 'high' is the TAX ... no one will be able to afford it.
They are talking about a $98 tax 'per ounce' on medical marijuana now FOR SICK PEOPLE, so you can imagine how high the tax will be for regular folks.

[Selatius]

6. We could socialize pot. The government could grow it on public land and sell it.

It cuts out the middle-men, and the government can control the potency level at the same time as generating revenue for government. It would help push the violent cartels out of the pot business.

[cliffordu]

11. Socialized pot!!!!

Two republican talking points at once....

:rofl:

I can see Pat Buchanan's head exploding from here.....

[Believing Is Art]

17. Socialized pot for homeland security

That's the code to unlock Republicans' "spinning in circles" mode.

[Fumesucker]

22. Yes, we could "socialize" alcohol at the same time..

For exactly the same reasons you gave for "socializing" pot.

I'm sure government booze would be every bit as good and have every bit as much variety as the private market now provides.

[BlooInBloo]

10. It would certainly make potheads happy....

And suddenly all of the bullshit cure-all, make-all crap they use to get people on-board would magically disappear.

[cliffordu]

12. Oh, man....

You're harshing my mellow.....

:rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

14. :)

[MrModerate]

19. So you're one of those "medical marijuana is the thin edge of the wedge" guys . . .

Well, I think you're right. Marijuana does appear to have therapeutic effects, but it's really most useful as an intoxicant.

And as an intoxicant, it's a damned good one.

[Xithras]

13. Pot smoking in public will never be legal.

The first time someones kid got a contact high from someone elses joint in a public place, the ensuing lawsuits and public outrage would lead to its re-banning.

Of course, it's not even legal to drink alcohol in a public area where I live, so I doubt the pot smokers would care much.

[Motown_Johnny]

15. there are places in the world where it is legal.. maybe copy one, like Amsterdam

I think there you buy it in something akin to a bar, and you must consume it there, or in your own home. Some shit like that

[MrModerate]

18. Testing is no biggie . . .

They have swabs that are (considered) quite accurate. They don't detect levels, but they do detect presence, and supposedly don't give a false positive if you've been sitting in a car with smokers.

Here's how I'd handle it:

1) Tax and professionalize the production and distribution, while still allowing hobbyist growers to do their thing. If you don't sell it, you don't trigger any taxation issues (much like homebrew wine and beer).
2) Restrict use to cafes or private homes/venues (à la Amsterdam), primarily because others can be involuntarily intoxicated by fumes wafting by and they have a right to just say "no."
3) Set the legal limit of THC detected in a driver to zero: "If you smoke, don't drive." A lot of countries already do this for alcohol (while you're at it, do it for alcohol as well).
4) Spend some of those tax bux on health effects studies, but this time take the Anslinger effect out and find out what's really happening. Meanwhile, encourage the use of vaporizers.
5) Reap the benefits of a happier and more productive population (all those folks not being in jail and all), a healthier treasury, and a vastly simplified and less expensive justice system.

[wuushew]

20. A simple blood test after failure of a field sobriety test

just like if you are over .08 on a breathalyzer or are impaired for something like prescription pill over medication.

No real change in the mechanisms used by law enforcement.




There are no show stoppers regarding legalization of pot, none.

[Webster Green]

23. Stoned drivers are safer drivers..

Studies have been done..

A comprehensive 1992 NHTSA study revealed that pot is rarely involved in driving accidents, except when combined with alcohol. The study concluded that "the THC-only drivers had an responsibility rate below that of the drug free drivers." This study was buried for six years and not released until 1998.

A 1993 NHTSA study dosed Dutch drivers with THC and tested them on real Dutch roads. It concluded that THC caused no impairment except for a slight deficiency in the driver's ability to "maintain a steady lateral position on the road." This means that the THC-dosed drivers had a little trouble staying smack in the center of their lanes, but showed no other problems. The study noted that the effects of even high doses of THC were far less than that of alcohol or many prescription drugs. The study concluded that "THC's adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small."

A massive 1998 study by the University of Adelaide and Transport South Australia examined blood samples from drivers involved in 2,500 accidents. It found that drivers with only cannabis in their systems were slightly less likely to cause accidents than those without. Drivers with both marijuana and alcohol did have a high accident responsibility rate. The report concluded, "there was no indication that marijuana by itself was a cause of fatal accidents."

In Canada, a 1999 University of Toronto meta-analysis of studies into pot and driving showed that drivers who consumed a moderate amount of pot typically refrained from passing cars and drove at a more consistent speed. The analysis also confirmed that marijuana taken alone does not increase a driver's risk of causing an accident.

More studies: http://www.cannabisculture.com/news/driving