Quote:
Originally Posted by sherck
IMO, the issue with pot laws are the same with alcohol laws. Both impair your ability to make good decisions in rapid situations (i.e. driving) and both need to be regulated in order to try and prevent harm from that situation. You often just don't harm yourself in those situations.
The biggest issue? It is fairly hard for anyone besides a hard core alcoholic to mask the signs of alcohol impairment. However, with MJ acting in much more subdued ways physically, it is easier to mask the impairment when under its influence.
And, unfortunately, people under the influence of either rarely have the ability to decide when they are impaired so as to use it responsibly so then tragedy can happen.
I think the glue is out of the bottle and that MJ will be legalized across the nation within a decade. But, with states now wanting to get into the tax revenue of it, there is no going backwards.
I have never wanted to smoke it (due to having a security clearance since I was 21 years old and in junior ROTC / college ROTC for the 8 years prior to that) but I don't really have an issue with anyone else doing so AS LONG AS IT IS RESPONSIBLE AND LEGAL.
Cheers,
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The reason it's difficult to mask someone hammered vs someone stoned is the fact that someone hammered is typically more impaired than the stoned person. It's pretty hard to mask someone stoned to the point they can't function well either.
To put it another way, if someone has like 2-3 beers or whatever and they have a BAC of, say, 0.08 or so they are impaired but enough to mask it. If they drank the whole 12 pack and their BAC is at, say, 0.16 or whatever it becomes more difficult. Same with weed, though there isn't as precise a test to measure active THC levels as opposed to BAC.
While both drugs can have negative effects on a person, I struggle to see how an objective person can say that they are equal. Alcohol is a CNS depressant, and by its nature it makes it impairs motor function. It's why drunk driving is so dangerous compared to almost any other drug. It's hard to operate machinery when your own machinery doesn't operate well.
From a more anecdotal POV, alcohol tends to bring out the violence in people I almost never see with weed. I think most people agree with that. I mean, look at the Parry thread. "He stole a golf cart and punched a guy? What the fuck is his problem? Oh, he was drunk? That explains it."
On your general point (I think) I agree that both need to be regulated.