If Pot Was Legal . . .

[qwerty]

I know your angle, but people can be too wasted to drive. It is a drug, it can cause impairment, it can cause an accident.

 

I remember reading about an experiment done recently regarding this very situation. They set up all sorts of field tests with sober people, high people, liqoured up people , and people on other miscellaneous impairing drugs. The high people blew everyone else out of the water ( yes, the sober) for the better. They also set up people just on a cell phone... also eating something as simple as a bag of chips while listening to the radio... etc.

 

I will find it later and post it, because i have a feeling this will be an on going thread for awhile..

 

Btw, what was the purpose of this thread again?

Edited March 12, 2008 by qwerty

[Texsox]

^^^

How many would want their surgeon smoking a joint right before operating?

[pierard]

The whole pot legality argument is skewed. Right now, only one side (those in favor of legalization) bear the burden of persuasion. If the argument started on a neutral basis, that is deciding whether pot should be illegal or not without it already being legal/illegal, I think the argument to make it illegal would be MUCH weaker than the argument to legalize it. Unfortunately, Rockefeller was able to handicap the argument.

 

[pierard]

^^^

How many would want their surgeon smoking a joint right before operating?

 

Driving = Surgery?

[Texsox]

Driving = Surgery?

Judgement, reaction time, reflexes, motor movement, etc. If they could drive better, why wouldn't they be better in surgery? What skills would get worse for surgery that you would not need in driving?

[RockRaines]

I know your angle, but people can be too wasted to drive. It is a drug, it can cause impairment, it can cause an accident.

Cell phones have proven more dangerous while driving than Marijuana.

[RockRaines]

^^^

How many would want their surgeon smoking a joint right before operating?

Makes zero sense considering I dont even want my surgeon in a fight with his wife before operating, having a bad day, dust in his eye, headache, twitch, ANYTHING.

[Texsox]

The whole pot legality argument is skewed. Right now, only one side (those in favor of legalization) bear the burden of persuasion. If the argument started on a neutral basis, that is deciding whether pot should be illegal or not without it already being legal/illegal, I think the argument to make it illegal would be MUCH weaker than the argument to legalize it. Unfortunately, Rockefeller was able to handicap the argument.

 

Actually I think under those circumstances, we would wind up without pot, cigarettes, and alcohol.

[Texsox]

Makes zero sense considering I dont even want my surgeon in a fight with his wife before operating, having a bad day, dust in his eye, headache, twitch, ANYTHING.

Are you saying he would be impaired?

[WilliamTell]

I've never smoked pot before and probably never will because it's illegal. If it was legal I probably still wouldn't because I have no desire to smoke in general.

[RockRaines]

Are you saying he would be impaired?

He'd be impaired if he had a cold and took cold medicine, so yes he would be considering impairment is such a giant blanket statement. You can be impaired by coffee, pop, different foods, mood, blood chemistry, sleep deprivation etc etc. So I dont know what kind of statement you are trying to make.

[Texsox]

He'd be impaired if he had a cold and took cold medicine, so yes he would be considering impairment is such a giant blanket statement. You can be impaired by coffee, pop, different foods, mood, blood chemistry, sleep deprivation etc etc. So I dont know what kind of statement you are trying to make.

 

But how does pot make people better drivers, yet somehow worst surgeons?

[pierard]

Actually I think under those circumstances, we would wind up without pot, cigarettes, and alcohol.

 

 

You really think so? I guess I never really though about it from that angle. It is a good point though.

 

Personally, I don't know why people want pot to be illegal.

[Texsox]

You really think so? I guess I never really though about it from that angle. It is a good point though.

 

Personally, I don't know why people want pot to be illegal.

 

Actually, after I thought about it, it would also depend on the current climate and who was elected and why.

[santo=dorf]

Less harmful then say carrots? Less harmful then water?

 

Unless you are going to argue that pot is beneficial, these comparisons are meaningless.

Yes Pot is safer than water. You can die from drinking too much water. I remember reading an article in Time on a girl who drank too much water and it got into her brain.

 

For age I voted 18, probably shoudl've voted 19, and Alcohol should not be the same. There are high schoolers that are 18 so they could provide alcohol to 14 and 15 year old whose bodies are still developing. Weed doesn't affect the development of vital organs and whatnot so I don't see it as big of a deal to see an 18 year old hooking up a 14 year old with weed compared to alcohol.

[santo=dorf]

Until they come up with a breathalyzer for pot, it won't happen. Need to be able to gauge the amount of high for driving just like we can gauge the amount of drunk for driving.

The thing is, being high on pot and driving is not the same as driving drunk.

 

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

Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving.”

 

Basically people who are high, know they are high and reduce their speed whereas alcohol causes agressiveness which results in people driving faster.

[santo=dorf]

^^^

How many would want their surgeon smoking a joint right before operating?

What the hell does that have to do what he was talking about? Doesn't the surgeon has his own morals? No, I don't really want my surgeon smoking pot before operating on me (it could calm him and make him better,) and I don't want him masturbating before the surgery either. I don't care if he washes his hands. Should we ban masturbation in the US to prevent a possible case of a surgeon contaminating the patient?

[Texsox]

What the hell does that have to do what he was talking about? Doesn't the surgeon has his own morals? No, I don't really want my surgeon smoking pot before operating on me (it could calm him and make him better,) and I don't want him masturbating before the surgery either. I don't care if he washes his hands. Should we ban masturbation in the US to prevent a possible case of a surgeon contaminating the patient?

The previous post claims that people on pot actually drive better than sober. If that is true, then it should also make a surgeon better, certainly not worst. I can't think of a skill that a driver has that would not also help a surgeon.

[santo=dorf]

The previous post claims that people on pot actually drive better than sober. If that is true, then it should also make a surgeon better, certainly not worst. I can't think of a skill that a driver has that would not also help a surgeon.

Surgeons require more skills than just simple motor skills and reaction time to do their job. They're two different situations.

 

I wouldn't care if the zamboni guy or the landscaper on the riding mower smoked pot before doing their job.

[Texsox]

I remember reading about an experiment done recently regarding this very situation. They set up all sorts of field tests with sober people, high people, liqoured up people , and people on other miscellaneous impairing drugs. The high people blew everyone else out of the water ( yes, the sober) for the better. They also set up people just on a cell phone... also eating something as simple as a bag of chips while listening to the radio... etc.

 

I will find it later and post it, because i have a feeling this will be an on going thread for awhile..

 

Btw, what was the purpose of this thread again?

 

Instead of a surgeon, how about your pilot or the guy that is driving your kids to school? Prefer them high?

[Texsox]

Surgeons require more skills than just simple motor skills and reaction time to do their job. They're two different situations.

 

I wouldn't care if the zamboni guy or the landscaper on the riding mower smoked pot before doing their job.

 

What skills that the surgeon needs that the driver would not? Or, if you prefer, what becomes worse with the surgeon that a driver does not need?

 

And my point is, I find it hard to believe the drivers actually performed *better* than sober. Better than drunk, I believe. Better than some on cell phones, etc., I can believe. Better than stone cold sober, same set up, no way.

[santo=dorf]

What skills that the surgeon needs that the driver would not? Or, if you prefer, what becomes worse with the surgeon that a driver does not need?

Wow, really? Why does it take so much longer to go through med school than the driving school?

 

Marijuana is linked to memory loss, and there is much more to remember when performing surgery than driving down the road.

 

Again, it should come down to personal morals. Do you really need a law to tell you not to drive after drinking a lot? I guess common sense is hard to come by with Americans these days.

[Texsox]

Wow, really? Why does it take so much longer to go through med school than the driving school?

 

Marijuana is linked to memory loss, and there is much more to remember when performing surgery than driving down the road.

 

Again, it should come down to personal morals. Do you really need a law to tell you not to drive after drinking a lot? I guess common sense is hard to come by with Americans these days.

 

So you believe that pot improves driving? QWERTY posted that people drive better high then sober. So name the specific skill that declines when you are high that effects the surgeon and not the driver?

[whitesoxfan101]

The age would HAVE to be 21. You can argue it whatever way you wish on pot vs. alcohol, but you can't allow people to legally smoke pot before they can legally drink alcohol, that'd just be ridiculous and I doubt they'll ever lower the drinking age. As for part 3 of this poll, it's up to the parents on a case by case basis IMO.

[witesoxfan]

I'd believe that some people do drive better high than sober. I'd also believe that some people drive better drunk than sober.

 

I know when I smoke, I'm a worse driver than when sober. But I get from place to place safely, I obey all traffic rules, and everything's kosher other than the fact that I was high.