California is going to pot

[Mister_T]

They employer can only test if have a reason to believe somebody's performance is affected at work or they are high on the job. Just like drinking on the job.

Right, but the difference is that alchohol is out of your system within a day or two, while marijuana is in your system for months from what I understand. If you smoked marijuana two weeks ago and you take a drug test, it's going to come up positive.

 

[Quagmire]

This is going to put a lot of people out of work.

Or I should say: this is going to cause a lot of people to have to go out and look for work.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Right, but the difference is that alcohol is out of your system within a day or two, while marijuana is in your system for months from what I understand. If you smoked marijuana two weeks ago and you take a drug test, it's going to come up positive.

I think the issue mostly applies to jobs that safety is of the highest importance. Like school bus driver or heavy equipment operator. So I don't know what they will do. Maybe if you seem high you will be tested. Other jobs the work suffers. I use to be a shop steward for my union. I worked at an agency that was run by liberal social workers. Who would never drug test on ethical grounds. Still a few people were fired for being "High" at work. It tends to be clear to co-workers when someone is loaded on the job.

 

[Rio Sabinas]

Wannabe, I've mixed feelings on it.
I understand it was made illegal in about 1938 by a very bigoted Senator who was trying to target Black Musicians.
At the time, the Medical community had the view that there were benificial uses for the drug but were ignored while legislation passed.

There's no doubt as to the Tax Revenue it could generate by making it a Recreational Drug. (not to mention the financial blow to the drug smugglers)
The Infrastructure for distribution is already in place, Liquor Stores.
You have to consider the potential for abuse. (yes, there are some who would get
totally "Bombed" & get behind the wheel or do other very foolish things)

I think the best bet for "Medical Marijuana" would be in "Pill" form. (D-9 Tetrahydrocanabinol) THC for short.
It could be controlled like any other drug via your Family Doctor & Pharmacy.
The Doctor would know the purity, strenght & dosage amount.

As it stands now in California, the "Doc" gives you a script not knowing the source
of the drug, (is it from a reputable grower who doesn't add harmful chemicals to
stimulate growth?) he doesn't know the strength or dosage amount, just says to you
"Smoke this till it feels good!"
And some people wonder why most of the medical community is opposed...

 

[AxisMundi]

It looks like pot will be legal in California

Just days after a Field Poll saw an increase in the number of California voters that support Proposition 19, which would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana, another poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows the prop crossing the 50 percent threshold of support with only about a month left until the November election. Between the two polls, it’s clear that Prop. 19 could well pass in November unless sentiment changes over the next month as it well could.
The PPIC poll echoes much of what was found in the Field Poll in terms of the demographic breakdown of how likely voters will vote on the proposition. According to the poll, 52 percent of likely voters approve of Prop. 19 compared to 41 percent. Compared to other propositions on the ballot, Prop. 19 was the only one to show clear support one way or the other, defined as crossing that 50 percent threshold.

Another Poll Shows Pot Prop Approval | The Reporta

And surprise... surprise this is the only time I can remember that men were more likely to vote on the right side of an issue. Who would have thought.:thud:

Here’s a breakdown:

Dems: 63 percent to 29 percent / Indies: 65 percent to 31 percent / Repubs: 32 percent to 62 percent
Men: 55 percent to 39 percent / Women: 49 percent to 43 percent
Latinos: 63 percent to 33 percent / Whites: 50 percent to 43 percent
Age 18-34: 70 percent to 22 percent / Age 35-54: 49 percent to 44 percent / Age 55 and older: 47 percent to 46 percent

Outstanding and I hope it sets a precidence for other States to follow suite.

There is every reason to decriminalize pot (and coke) and simply no reason outside of relgiious culture to keep it illegal.

Kind of wonder though, why certain relgiious groups ahven't poured money into the state to knock down this propesition like they did to get Prop 8 passed?

 

[Amill]

How exactly do they test how "high" someone is behind the wheel? Are they just going to have to go with judgments on how drivers do on field sobriety tests? Is there even a way to scientifically check?(and being able to tell if someone smoked recently vs a week ago) That's really the only question I've had about it's legalization.

 

[dust1n]

How exactly do they test how "high" someone is behind the wheel? Are they just going to have to go with judgments on how drivers do on field sobriety tests? Is there even a way to scientifically check?(and being able to tell if someone smoked recently vs a week ago) That's really the only question I've had about it's legalization.

It might not even be an issue.

"It is well established that alcohol increases accident risk. Evidence of marijuana’s culpability in on-road driving accidents is much less convincing.

Although cannabis intoxication has been shown to mildly impair psychomotor skills, this impairment does not appear to be severe or long lasting. In driving simulator tests, this impairment is typically manifested by subjects decreasing their driving speed and requiring greater time to respond to emergency situations.


Nevertheless, this impairment does not appear to play a significant role in on-road traffic accidents. A 2002 review of seven separate studies involving 7,934 drivers reported, “Crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes.” This result is likely because subject under the influence of marijuana are aware of their impairment and compensate for it accordingly, such as by slowing down and by focusing their attention when they know a response will be required. This reaction is just the opposite of that exhibited by drivers under the influence of alcohol, who tend to drive in a more risky manner proportional to their intoxication.


Today, a large body of research exists exploring the impact of marijuana on psychomotor skills and actual driving performance. This research consists of driving simulator studies, on-road performance studies, crash culpability studies, and summary reviews of the existing evidence. To date, the result of this research is fairly consistent: Marijuana has a measurable yet relatively mild effect on psychomotor skills, yet it does not appear to play a significant role in vehicle crashes, particularly when compared to alcohol."


http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5450

 

[Revoltingest]

It might not even be an issue.

Oh, yes it is.

"It is well established that alcohol increases accident risk. Evidence of marijuana’s culpability in on-road driving accidents is much less convincing.

Not to you perhaps, but I've seen enuf carnage from impaired drivers over the years...be it old age, phoning, snoozing,
drinking, etc. What objectively measurable level of "high" becomes legally defined as impaired will be the issue.

Although cannabis intoxication has been shown to mildly impair psychomotor skills, this impairment does not appear to be severe or long lasting. In driving simulator tests, this impairment is typically manifested by subjects decreasing their driving speed and requiring greater time to respond to emergency situations.

I think you just defined the GW Bush style of impaired driving...he too, was pulled over for driving slowly.
35 years ago I knew a guy who would argue that he had heightened consciousness while driving high on MJ,
& believed himself a safer driver in such a state. The gods thought his hubris deserved a humorous message,
so they steered him into a power line pole & wrecked his car, but spared him. His thinking on the subject
changed considerably. High driving is never safe driving.

 

[Wingless]

I want it legal in Texas!

Word.