cannabisnews.com: Sides Take Pot Shots





Sides Take Pot Shots
Posted by CN Staff on December 16, 2002 at 10:51:04 PT
By Tobi Cohen, Ottawa Sun
Source: Ottawa Sun 
What was a "pipe dream" for many might soon become a reality. A House of Commons committee has recommended decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. This week, reporter Tobi Cohen explores both sides of the issue. CON: INCREASED IMPAIRMENT ON ROADS 
More accidents on roads and increased work for law enforcement officials are some of the fears of opponents of marijuana decriminalization. With no mechanism in place to determine whether someone is too high to drive, Raynald Marchand of the Canada Safety Council fears decriminalization will prompt partyers to toke and drive as a way to have fun and get where they need to go while evading potential legal troubles. "We know the active ingredient does have an impact on driving so where our concern lies is if this is being decriminalized, then are drivers going to favour this as a way to party?" he said. HARDER TO DETECT Marchand is particularly concerned about new drivers who are bound by a zero alcohol-tolerance policy. A Quebec study, he said, found marijuana was to blame in 10% of cases of impairment in young people. Where alcohol impairment can be easily detected through a breathalyzer test, THC -- the active ingredient in pot -- is most easily found through blood or urine tests. The problem with these tests, Marchand said, is that THC remains in the body for long periods. While a test could show a person has smoked marijuana, it won't say whether a person is currently impaired by the drug. "If it's legal, then it's normal to detect it in the blood of a person, so how do you detect impairment?" he asked. If the government decriminalizes marijuana, Marchand believes it must also make a decision on whether driving while impaired by marijuana should remain a criminal offence.  COP CONCERNS While Marchand believes it should, until an adequate enforcement mechanism is in place, he thinks an aggressive education campaign is in order to ensure people understand that driving while under the influence of marijuana is just as bad as drinking and driving. For Staff Sgt. Marc Pineault of the Ottawa Police drug squad, decriminalization is likely to undermine policing efforts. "Decriminalization, I think, is probably going to provide some people with the mindset that it's sort of okay to smoke up," said Pineault, who is working with the RCMP to combat illegal grow operations. "I think demand will go higher, and if demand goes higher, the supply goes higher. If the supply goes higher, that means the grow operations will be a problem still." Decriminalization, he added, is unlikely to alleviate the burden on law enforcement officials since there is a lot of paperwork and cost involved in ticketing. Note: Decriminalization could lead to high drivers, safety group warns.Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)Author: Tobi Cohen, Ottawa SunPublished: Monday, December 16, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: editor sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmDecriminalize Marijuana Nowhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14996.shtmlDecriminalization of Cannabis Makes Sensehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14992.shtmlCanada Has It Right on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14979.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on December 16, 2002 at 16:41:14 PT
Q-up!
AWESOME! Police in Fulton, Ky., investigating a marijuana-smoking complaint by William Hainline's neighbors in September, found dope burning on a backyard grill with a large fan on the other side of the house sucking the smoke through the home ( in effect, said Police Chief Terry Powell, "turn( ing ) the house into a large marijuana bong" ). Hainline said he was merely having a 52nd birthday party, but police seized four pounds of marijuana. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2274/a04.html?397 
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Comment #4 posted by elfman_420 on December 16, 2002 at 16:30:43 PT
Don't drive high, just drive like it
I saw an interesting episode of "In Focus" last night that featured an author who wrote a book I believe entitled "Understanding Marijuana". He made a lot of the really good arguments I have learned from here, and claimed that his findings were fair and balanced. The hostess of the show seemed to be really into the whole thing. They started out showing all of the big outdoor busts they had in my local area of santa barbara and how the cartels were running them, but then they had a very sensible guest to explain who is really at fault.He also touched on driving, which is where I got the quote "Don't drive high, drive like you're high"
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Comment #3 posted by observer on December 16, 2002 at 11:45:05 PT
INCREASED IMPAIRMENT ON ROADS ?
''CON: INCREASED IMPAIRMENT ON ROADS''I have a hard time believing this one. Playing the devil's advocate, however, I think it is good for prohibitionist propaganda value, because everyone will accept without question that cannabis "impaired" drivers are a great evil that cause untold carnage.Here's a related item from Canada last Friday:http://bot.gotdns.org/bot/index.cgi?article=ottawa.cbc.ca6343.htmCanada: Man caught toking and driving denies he was impaired; Pubdate: Fri Dec 13 10:12:03 2002;
Source Webpage: http://ottawa.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ot_reimer20021213 ;
Newshawk: Bot :-]CBC Ottawa - Man caught toking and driving denies he was impaired.n.b.: ''Reimer is defending himself in the case and on Thursday he cross-examined a toxicologist who said marijuana does impair a person's ability to drive. Reimer presented studies that show the opposite. "The single, common denominator among all the studies of marijuana and driving is that it makes you drive more slowly," says Reimer. Then, when asked to produce statistics to prove the drug caused accidents, the same toxicologist couldn't provide any.''(Allow me also to remind readers about the following studies.)Cannabis/Driving StudiesAustralia: No Proof Cannabis Put Drivers At Risk (2001)
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1849/a09.htmlUK: Cannabis May Make You A Safer Driver (2000) 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1161/a02.html University Of Toronto Study Shows Marijuana Not A Factor In Driving Accidents (1999)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases\1999\03\990325110700.htm Australia: Cannabis Crash Risk Less: Study (1998) 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n945/a08.html Australia: Study Goes to Pot (1998) 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n947/a06.html
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on December 16, 2002 at 11:08:51 PT:
It Quite Simple, Actually
This issue is actually quite simple, and should not be the subject of all this handwringing. If you are impaired, do to whatever cause (alcohol, cannabis, fatigue) you should not drive.An excerpt from:http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2157/a04.html?1361Marijuana researcher Dr. Ethan Russo of Montana Neurobehavioral Specialists in Missoula echoed Earleywine's conclusions. "Based on the science, there is no rational basis for the federal government to impose a zero tolerance test for cannabis or its metabolites with the prospect that its implementation will improve highway safety," he told DRCNet. "Cannabis in isolation rarely causes serious impairment in motor skills or driving safety. Blood levels of THC and urinary measurement of THC metabolites do not correlate with brain levels or mental effects in any meaningful fashion," Russo added. "The only reasonable measure to assess 'drugged driving' is a field sobriety test, much as is commonly done for alcohol ingestion. A person who fails such a test based on evidence of impaired or reckless driving certainly deserves to be arrested and investigated for the sake of public safety." 
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Comment #1 posted by BigDawg on December 16, 2002 at 11:01:08 PT
The problem:
"I think demand will go higher, and if demand goes higher, the supply goes higher. If the supply goes higher, that means the grow operations will be a problem still." "Decriminalization, he added, is unlikely to alleviate the burden on law enforcement officials since there is a lot of paperwork and cost involved in ticketing."The solution: LEGALIZE 
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