I've also never used, but was sort of the safety guy for my HS friends who did. Designated driver, voice or physical restraint of reason....No, you really shouldn't climb that tree when walking is a challenge. NO you're NOT going swimming to see if you can smoke through the snorkel......Somebody had to do it.
I've become somewhat ambivalent about it, if someone is having real medical issues and it helps, sure go ahead. Of course there will be those who find a doctor who'll rubber stamp some excuse, that was done for alcohol during prohibition.
I recently read an article about the very different experiences of Colorado and Washington. Colorado put pot growing/selling/etc under the same agencies that already cover other stuff - I think agriculture? Don't recall the exact department. The result was excellent organization of licenses, permits etc, and the whole local legal system being consistent. Washington basically just opened it up at the state level with little organization. And has had a load of problems with the confusing "legal in Wa, but not federally" issue. And the federal justice system has been inconsistent, some areas they basically go with local law, others take the hard line on the federal laws. The opener for the article was a person legally allowed to grow for medical reasons even before legalization being busted federally for allowing his relatives - also allowed to grow legally - to grow on his land because they lived in the city.
Here in Mass, as I understand it DUI is under the influence of anything. So it's covered. I think we've also decided not to pursue cases for possession of small ammounts.
Like anything else, some people will overdo it.
I don't buy the "it's harmless" argument. People around fires are taken to the hospital every day for smoke inhalation. If you want to do that deliberately, well ok I suppose. I'll pass.
Determining when someone had had "enough" of anything is hard. With alcohol I've seen the legal limit reduced from .10 to .08, and they're considering making it even lower. Some people are somewhat impaired at .08, for some it's not apparent. And personality is very different. Some drinkers get feisty, some mellow, some think they're "better drunk" when they're not. (I usually get mellow, when I actually drink more than one which isn't often lately. ) I have a friend who shows few outward signs of being drunk until way after the point where I've decided I'm not leaving the recliner. Another is pretty much done after one beer.
That's why we've fallen back on a technical number after field tests.
I'd imagine pot is the same way, affects people differently. There will no doubt be a few years of figuring out how to tell, and maybe eventually a simple test.
Steve B
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