Colorado makes peace with cannabis.

[Harleyman]

It was in the link - ''After years of debate, Colorado now has as blood-level limit for marijuana and drivers. The law says that juries can presume drivers are too stoned to drive if their blood contains more than 5 nanograms per milliliter of THC, marijuana's psychoactive ingredient. Washington state adopted the same driving standard on the ballot last year, but Colorado left the question to the state Legislature.''

 

I should read links in more detail.

 

I find it strange that while everything is being done to eliminate tobacco use short of banning it outright the movement towards legalizing cannabis seems to be gaining steam.

 

I dont buy the argument that the use of cannabis is safe compared to tobacco. Both in their own right are damaging over long term use

 

Colorado, Oregon, Washington and northern California have had marijuana farms for years already. It's long been an "under the table" source of income for small communities in the rural areas.

 

The police and the Feds find a crop and destroy it now and again but the very remotness of the areas in these north west States make it very difficult to police

 

I'm wondering how the legalisation of cannabis will fit in with that of businesses in Colorado and Washington. Take jobs that require employees to handle forklifts inside and outside stores such as Home Depot and Lowes builders suppliers for example.

 

At present these companies require drug testing as a pre-condition to employment, If a canddate for employment at either of these two stores in Washington Colorado tests positive for marijuana whose right under the law? The applicant.. because marijuana use is no longer a criminal offence or the employer who may have concerns that one day that employee may come in to work stoned over the limit and cause an accident to himself, his fellow employees or to a customer which in the latter two cases means a hefty law suit against the store.

 

I imagine though that common sense will prevail and that employers will continue to have the right to refuse employment to anyone who tests positive or fire any employee who fails a random drug test

[deaf andy]

a roadside sobriety test wouldn't always work as some people function perfectly well while under the influence.

 

a relative of mine cannot drive unless there is some thc in his bloodstream. on the day of his first driving lesson he decided not to partake, and it was a disaster. the second lesson he was mildly stoned, and found it much easier. stoned again when he took and passed his driving test. he has pretty much been stoned constantly since, and hasn't had a single accident in nearly twenty years of driving.

 

but ask him where he put his other shoe, and you may as well ask 'why is yellow?'

[Phanerothyme]

Two separate studies have indicated pretty clearly that in habitual users, being straight impairs their driving.

 

But it shouldn't be beyond the wit of mankind to devise an evidence based competency test that could be administered at the roadside.

 

As someone who's passed the British "stoned driving test", it needs to be a bit more detailed and technologically enhanced than that.

 

But starting with a simple set of cognitive and reaction tests, it wouldn't be too hard to experiment your way forward with an appropriate set of volunteers.

 

 

[onewheeldave]

....

 

I dont buy the argument that the use of cannabis is safe compared to tobacco. Both in their own right are damaging over long term use

 

Colorado, Oregon, Washington and northern California have had marijuana farms for years already. It's long been an "under the table" source of income for small communities in the rural areas.

...

 

What argument? Tobacco kills more users than all other drugs put together, legal or otherwise. Cannabis, in contrast, has not one single death attributed to it.

[Harleyman]

a roadside sobriety test wouldn't always work as some people function perfectly well while under the influence.

 

a relative of mine cannot drive unless there is some thc in his bloodstream. on the day of his first driving lesson he decided not to partake, and it was a disaster. the second lesson he was mildly stoned, and found it much easier. stoned again when he took and passed his driving test. he has pretty much been stoned constantly since, and hasn't had a single accident in nearly twenty years of driving.

 

but ask him where he put his other shoe, and you may as well ask 'why is yellow?'

 

I've heard arguments from people who have had a few pints that they drive better afterwards. "Makes em more alert... sharpens the reflexes, feel more relaxed behind the wheel etc"

Well it diesn't. In fact just the opposite occurs. Anything booze or drugs that is mind altering is just bad news when operating a vehicle or machine

[geared]

 

If a canddate for employment at either of these two stores in Washington Colorado tests positive for marijuana whose right under the law? The applicant.. because marijuana use is no longer a criminal offence or the employer who may have concerns that one day that employee may come in to work stoned over the limit and cause an accident to himself, his fellow employees or to a customer which in the latter two cases means a hefty law suit against the store.

 

Well actually it would be the applicant, especially if they company do not perform regular alcohol tests.

 

one day that employee may come in to work drunk over the limit and cause an accident to himself, his fellow employees or to a customer which in the latter two cases means a hefty law suit against the store.

 

Would you consider it legal to fire someone who tests positive for trace alcohol?

[Harleyman]

What argument? Tobacco kills more users than all other drugs put together, legal or otherwise. Cannabis, in contrast, has not one single death attributed to it.

 

And no damaging long term effects either no doubt. Pull the other one

[geared]

And no damaging long term effects either no doubt. Pull the other one

 

If you want to look into the long term effects then go and perform a study in Holland.

 

Afterall it's been legal there for a long time, so you have a decent number of long term users to test.

[Harleyman]

Well actually it would be the applicant, especially if they company do not perform regular alcohol tests.

 

one day that employee may come in to work drunk over the limit and cause an accident to himself, his fellow employees or to a customer which in the latter two cases means a hefty law suit against the store.

 

Would you consider it legal to fire someone who tests positive for trace alcohol?

 

Yes. I think the employer would be within his rights. Some employers, especially in the utlities or jobs where operating machinery is involved have a policy of carrying out on the spot drug tests. They hand you a slip and tell you to stop whatever you're doing,and get down to the medical office within 30 minutes and take a urine test right away. They dont need cause. It can happen to anyone who drives or operates machinery as part of their job

 

I imagine that it's probably smart to do the drinking on Friday evenings after work and Saturdays and leave off the stuff from then on and continue to leave off it until the following Friday night if a condition of your employment states that you are subject to on the spot random drug schecks.

 

That's what I would do anyway

[Phanerothyme]

I've heard arguments from people who have had a few pints that they drive better afterwards. "Makes em more alert... sharpens the reflexes, feel more relaxed behind the wheel etc"

Well it diesn't. In fact just the opposite occurs. Anything booze or drugs that is mind altering is just bad news when operating a vehicle or machine

 

Granted, many drugs will adversely affect your ability to operate machinery, but there are also many drugs which will improve your ability to operate machinery, particularly in the short term.

 

There are cognitive enhancing drugs, but cannabis isn't one of them.

 

 

(there are reports of a Nigerian dock worker being killed by a bale of cannabis falling from a crane, but they're apocryphal)