Obama/Marijuana

thorne · December 27, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3zou4F00Ic

ImUrOBGYN · December 27, 2008

Forgive me as this is going to be a bit long. Sorry if any of my links are off. There was alot to do.

A 1983 study by the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that the only significant affect of cannabis use was slower driving - arguably a positive effect of driving high.

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 [accident] 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.

A major study done by the UK Transport Research Laboratory in 2000 found that drivers under the influence of cannabis were more cautious and less likely to drive dangerously. The study examined the effects of marijuana use on drivers through four weeks of tests on driving simulators. The study was commissioned specifically to show that marijuana was impairing, and the british government was embarrassed with the study's conclusion that "marijuana users drive more safely under the influence of cannabis."

According to the Cannabis and Driving report, a comprehensive literature review published in 2000 by the UK Department of Transportation, "the majority of evidence suggests that cannabis use may result in a lower risk of [accident] culpability."

The Canadian Senate issued a major report into all aspects of marijuana in 2002. Their chapter on Driving under the influence of cannabis concludes that "Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving."

The most recent study into drugs and driving was published in the July 2004 Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention. Researchers at the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research analyzed blood tests from those in traffic accidents, and found that even people with blood alcohol between 0.5% and 0.8% (below the legal limit) had a five-fold increase in the risk of serious accident. Drivers above the legal alcohol limit were 15 times more likely to have a collision. Drugs like Valium and Rohypnol produced results similar to alcohol, while cocaine and opiates showed only a small but "not statistically significant" increase in accident risk. As for the marijuana-only users? They showed absolutely no increased risk of accidents at all.

ImUrOBGYN · December 27, 2008

Just in case.

Links and References

1983 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study: Stein, AC et al., A Simulator Study of the Combined Effects of Alcohol and Marijuana on Driving Behavior-Phase II, Washington DC: Department of Transportation (1983)

http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_myth12.shtml

1992 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study: The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers, by K.W. Terhune, et al. of the Calspan Corp. Accident Research Group in Buffalo, NY (Report # DOT-HS-808-065)

http://www.drugsense.org/tfy/nhtsa1.htm

1993 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study: Marijuana and actual Driving Performance, By Hindrik WJ Robbe and James F O'Hanlon. Institute for Human Psychopharmacology, University of Limburg

http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_driving4.shtml

1998 University of Adelaide and Transport South Australia study:

http://www.ukcia.org/research/driving4.html

1999 University of Toronto Study, Marijuana Not a Factor in Driving Accidents:

newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin/19990329a.asp

2000 UK Transport Research Laboratory study on Cannabis and Driving:

http://www.mapinc.org/newscc/v00/n1161/a02.html

2000 UK Department of Transportation's Cannabis and Driving report:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_504567.hcsp

2002 Report of the Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs

http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/rep-e/repfinalvol1part4-e.htm

July 2004, Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention, Psychoactive substance use and the risk of motor vehicle accidents.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15094417

For a less scientific and more amusing study of the combination of drugs and driving, go here:

http://www.techno.de/mixmag/interviews/Driving_on_drugs.html

87GT · December 27, 2008

Oh I love a good drug chat...

Yes the government should grow and sell taxed joints. The war on drugs is a waste of money. Putting people in prison for having a bag is a waste of tax payer money. With as greedy as the country is they should of stopped this a long time ago.

Taxed joints = PROFIT $$$ see tobacco taxes

Mass government producing = No business for illegal dealers = Almost no underground dealers

Legalization = More money for finding serial killers and the guy who raped someone you know

Prostitution should be legal as well. At one point of almost everyone's lives they will be in this situation. You will be able to achieve sex with someone you know if you buy them X or do Y for them. Come on every time I buy diamonds I get a happy ending. I traded money for sex. That's prostitution ^_^

Dr. Pomade · December 27, 2008

Forgive me as this is going to be a bit long. Sorry if any of my links are off. There was alot to do.

A 1983 study by the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that the only significant affect of cannabis use was slower driving - arguably a positive effect of driving high.

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 [accident] 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.

A major study done by the UK Transport Research Laboratory in 2000 found that drivers under the influence of cannabis were more cautious and less likely to drive dangerously. The study examined the effects of marijuana use on drivers through four weeks of tests on driving simulators. The study was commissioned specifically to show that marijuana was impairing, and the british government was embarrassed with the study's conclusion that "marijuana users drive more safely under the influence of cannabis."

According to the Cannabis and Driving report, a comprehensive literature review published in 2000 by the UK Department of Transportation, "the majority of evidence suggests that cannabis use may result in a lower risk of [accident] culpability."

The Canadian Senate issued a major report into all aspects of marijuana in 2002. Their chapter on Driving under the influence of cannabis concludes that "Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving."

The most recent study into drugs and driving was published in the July 2004 Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention. Researchers at the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research analyzed blood tests from those in traffic accidents, and found that even people with blood alcohol between 0.5% and 0.8% (below the legal limit) had a five-fold increase in the risk of serious accident. Drivers above the legal alcohol limit were 15 times more likely to have a collision. Drugs like Valium and Rohypnol produced results similar to alcohol, while cocaine and opiates showed only a small but "not statistically significant" increase in accident risk. As for the marijuana-only users? They showed absolutely no increased risk of accidents at all.

You know, this (as well as the reference post that follows it) is probably one of the more impressive posts I've ever seen on CR. I hope people can appreciate the amount of thought and effort that went into it. This is me applauding you.

That being said, I think it's a misguided (and, in some respects, erroneous) argument to contend that cannabis is okay to mix with driving. I think I know where you're headed with the argument, but I just don't that argument needs asserted in order for the legalization of cannabis to have merit. It's okay if cannabis makes you drive poorly - plenty of very legal substances do the same thing (e.g., alcohol, presciption narcotics), and we have safeguards in place (e.g., police officers that are trained to detect impaired drivers and equipped with technology that assist them in doing so) to neutralize/minimize the hazards that should occur in the event of such. I'd hate to detract from the legitimacy of legalizing cannabis by accidentally creating - excuse the pun - a smoke screen by trying to prove a point that doesn't need proven.

I've meant for what I've said to be fodder for additional discussion as opposed to some critique of what ImUrOBGYN has posted, so I hope it isn't mistaken as such. And I don't want to distract anyone from the fact that you just came up with one hell of a good post.

ImUrOBGYN · December 27, 2008

No problem. My post was mostly for those who didn't understand the minimal affect of marijuana on driving and those concerned with legalization leading to more driving accidents. I was not trying to "okay" driving under the influence of anything.

"However, what is apparent is that marijuana's slight impairment on psychomotor skills generally falls within the range of safety Americans accept for prescription medications and other legal, potentially debilitating factors such as fatigue or cell phones. As such, the question of marijuana and driving should remain a public policy concern for drug law reformers, but not a serious political obstacle to marijuana-law reform."

By Paul Armentano

NORML Director of Publications and Research

Not even the pro marijuana groups condone driving under the influence of anything and most even support saliva testing and the like.

jerrodh · December 27, 2008

How can you tax a plant?

You could tax anything that can be sold in reality...

Radio Flyer1647545514 · December 27, 2008

Sounds unlikely... link?

I'm all for legalizing. Just wish that there was a "weed breathalyzer" to keep dui's in check.

I'm going to start searching for these studies now.

Links should be posted soon.

EDIT- Just saw that Johnny Bravo posted up links. Those are some of the ones I was looking for.

Radio Flyer1647545514 · December 27, 2008

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

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7459

http://www.fcda.org/driving.htm

"Driving under the influence of any drug is generally discouraged, but studies have always indicated that marijuana (cannabis) has only a neglible effect on drivers who are experienced with its effects. The reason seems to be that, while there is a minor reduction in reaction times similar to being a few years older than the driver's current age, there is a sense of "paranoia" that leads to slower and more cautious driving. The most common effect is getting lost."

Those are just a few I have found. I looked for some previous ones that I had seen but to no prevail.

I'm not saying it's okay to drive under the influence, or that anyone should, as cannabis does slow down reaction time, but studies do show that users are more prone to driving more safely while intoxicated in fear of being caught. Anything that slows down reaction time causes danger on the roadways, but statistically there is no argument that marijuana users would be a HUGE threat among the rest of the public on the roadway.

Assuming marijuana was legalized, it is likely to see an upward spike in marijuana related accidents as more people would be likely to use the drug, but nothing compared to alcohol in my opinion.

I can post pages and pages and pages of links on studies as far as health benefits. More links than you would want to see, if you are interested, just shout and I'll post.