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RE: This highlights gov't hypocrisy perfectly!
@tftproject Well in all fairness the police wouldn't want anyone attempting to drive home way more carefully than they did if they were sober now would they! God forbid more motorist got home safely to see their families!
Oh actually I see your point! lol
Is your point that someone who is high is by definition a safer driver?
Though I dont agree with driving impaired, I woukd say that yes, someone high on Cannabis is a safer driver.
High/impaired? What's the actual difference here? Look, I am not anti-cannabis, but cannabis is a mind-altering substance. Driving under the influence is inherently dangerous. I accept that it is difficult to test for this - it isn't like alcohol in that sense - but that people are safer drivers is a naive myth.
I disagree. ask anyone who has smoked and done anything that requires focus. (MMA, archery, cooking, NFL, NBA, etc). You are far more alert and cautious. Try it if you dont believe. Use a simulator. I am not condoning it because it is illegal. But people are allowed to drive on Aderall, or Nuvigil because they apparently increase focus. Let's not be naive about the fact that there's a lack of research into the effects of cannabis on humans.
You seem to be assuming that I don't have an informed position on this! I can assure you I do.
You didn't answer my first question. What's the difference between being high, and being impaired? I actually saw an article about this whole thing yesterday, and as far as the police are concerned, "impaired" is the first three hours after smoking a spliff.
I do accept that one can be focussed when high, but alert? Are you kidding me? And are you really saying that the mind can't drift when a person is high? That a stoned individual cannot completely lose focus? How many times have you had one of those funny stoned conversations that go off on about 15 tangents, and have no idea where you started?
I am not sure that the artificial environment of a simulator is evidence that a high individual is a safe driver. Like I say, being high does allow focus - especially if you are aware you are being tested - but on your own, in a car, driving along? It's not the same.
I completely accept that a lot of work needs to be done here, and that testing for cannabis is not the same as testing for alcohol. I absolutely do not accept that driving whilst high is okay.
My argument isn't that being high isn't being impaired, because, it definitely is. So that answers your question. And I also said that I do not condone impaired driving.
I definitely believe your mind can drift when high. Does it drift more while driving high than not high? I dont know. I know for a fact I daydream while driving (completely sober) and I feel the difference is that if I am high, I feel more aware of my daydreaming. I also know that I am more cautious while high doing anything. And maybe that has something to do with illegality and being caught.
My biggest argument I suppose is that there needs to be more research done. Legalization in canada should allow that. Though there is an amount of alcohol that is allowed in your system and you can still drive. .05 in Alberta. There needs to be a limit for Cannabis.
You know, we have disagreed a lot here, but I actually get the impression we are on the same page.
I am little confused though, because you have suggested that driving whilst is okay (actually safer), but driver impaired isn't, and now that high equals impaired.
So I am not sure what you are really saying.
I absolutely agree that more research must be done. But drinking and smoking are inherently different. Having a beer or two is not the same as having a smoke. Getting high is pretty much instantaneous. Getting drunk isn't, and the process is different.
LOL. I agree.
There are levels to all this as well. I can have a toke and feel slightly different than sober but 20 min after I feel no effects. I can have 2 beer, and I am not a drinker, have less than .05 and feel far more impaired.
I do not feel that driving while high is ok. What I do feel is that SOME Cannabis can be enhancing. That does not mean getting completely ruined and thinking you can function. But i feel it is far safer than alcohol or pharmaceutical drugs which are allowed to some extent while driving. I do feel that it is possible to be safer while (low level) high.
Its also a sticky subject because of tolerance levels of cannabis and no accurate way to determine levels of intoxication.
More research. The fastest way to get that is through legalization/decriminalization...
I have re read this and still dont think I'm clear!! Lol