The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization

Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by Alex3917 on Saturday July 26, 2014 @07:20PM (#8091212)

The risk of driving after using marijuana is comparable to the risk of driving after using penicillin, which isn't illegal. Furthermore, the risk is far less than the risk of driving at .08, which is legal in most states. While I'm not advocating that people drive while stoned, it's not clear that there is a legal problem that needs to be solved.

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by dragonwriter on Saturday July 26, 2014 @08:46PM (#8091489)

> The risk of driving after using marijuana is comparable to the risk of driving after using penicillin, which isn't illegal.

[citation needed]

> Furthermore, the risk is far less than the risk of driving at .08

[citation needed], again

> which is legal in most states.

No, driving at or above BAC 0.08 regardless of impairment is illegal in all 50 states, and in most states driving with any impairment due to alcohol is also illegal (though a lesser offense) even if the BAC is below 0.08.

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by Alex3917 on Saturday July 26, 2014 @09:51PM (#8091667)

Instead of saying [citation needed], why don't you just Google it? For reference:

http://norml.org/news/2014/04/03/study-higher-thcblood-level...

And your point about .08 being illegal is pedantic. Driving at .0799 would be legal, and the risk is identical.

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by Semaphor on Saturday July 26, 2014 @07:50PM (#8091327)

> The risk of driving after using marijuana is comparable to the risk of driving after using penicillin

Source? I would drive in neither case, but I certainly feel far more able to drive after a penicillin than after a few drags off a joint.

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by sillysaurus3 on Saturday July 26, 2014 @07:29PM (#8091246)

Marijuana delays reaction time. Does penicillin?

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by McDiesel on Saturday July 26, 2014 @08:39PM (#8091472)

benadryl does. And nyquill. Allegra and claritin can as well (though to a lesser degree). thats not mentioning the 100s of prescription drugs that do. None of them need a roadside test, why does MJ?

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by jebus989 on Saturday July 26, 2014 @07:46PM (#8091313)

I've got to query this, I don't believe antibiotics like penicillin cause any motor/visual impairment

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by dalke on Saturday July 26, 2014 @09:07PM (#8091548)

Some antibiotics may cause problems. Quoting from http://www.drugs.com/cdi/amoxicillin.html :

> Amoxicillin may cause dizziness. This effect may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use amoxicillin with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.

That said, I can find nothing similar for penicillin. Eg, it's not listed in the "impressive list of drugs [which] may cause vertigo or dizziness" at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3853661/ , though several other antibiotics are listed.

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by DigitalJack on Saturday July 26, 2014 @08:40PM (#8091475)

Antibiotics and other medication can destroy your hearing. Common anti anxiety medications effect your sense of balance to the point falling.

I don't agree with the GP however. There are significant differences in effect between the strains of MJ that it isn't rational to make statements like the GP.

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/tc/medicines-that-cause... http://www.drugs.com/clonazepam.html

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by ScottBurson on Saturday July 26, 2014 @07:52PM (#8091333)

Citation definitely needed. I don't recall feeling the slightest bit impaired after taking penicillin.

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Re:The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization by feld on Saturday July 26, 2014 @08:57PM (#8091512)

Driving stoned is NOT fun. Physics feel all weird. I don't recommend it. It is scary.

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