In the “weeds”

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by V3600

Since this is an RV forum let me ask the question: After a day, evening, or weekend of pot smoking when is your system clear of THC (the high in marijuana) to allow a person to be sober enuf to drive?

That question can't really be scientifically answered, as there isn't even a reliable test for THC intoxication based on levels in the blood despite, for example, legislation in Oregon stating that a blood THC level of 5 nanograms or more is the prima facie threshold for DUII prosecution.

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/..._what_you.html

Even the long legislated Blood Alcohol (ethanol or ETOH) Content (BAC) of 0.08% is somewhat arbitrary for DUII becasue the effect of a particular BAC could be wildy varied between different people, but the 0.08 number is clearly accepted and stand up against challenges.

It seems only a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) could use their opinion based on their training and experience to show a vehicle operator is intoxicated enough by THC or other forms of intoxication that isn't ETOH to be a danger to drive, and might still need to convince a judge or jury.

And still, there may be situations where the person that imbibed as long as twenty four hours ago may not be aware of the dangers of operating a motor vehicle in their particular set of circumstances while the person they are standing next to might be quite safe to drive despite ingesting marijuana less than four hours prior.

All I know is that not ingesting anything intoxicating virtually guarantees not finding oneself in jeopardy of the DUII laws as they are and as they evolve during this current movement of cannabis legalization.

I know that if I pee hot on a random urinalysis (UA) for my current job I might as well pack, pick up, hitch up, and go straight home and forget working in utility services ever again. That is why I have to not only not imbibe, but also avoid contact with the smoke as much as possible because I like my job, I like my paychecks, and I like thinking that I can keep liking all of this stuff for as long as I want to. I cannot expect everyone to have as much concern for my future work as I do, and I cannot expect people to care if I told them why I cannot be around their residue of any recreational drugs, legalized or otherwise, so I gotta do for me what I need to do for me.

[Itchytoe]

Originally Posted by V3600

Since this is an RV forum let me ask the question: After a day, evening, or weekend of pot smoking when is your system clear of THC (the high in marijuana) to allow a person to be sober enuf to drive? Seems that question never gets asked let alone answered. I know the saying for alcohol - eight hours bottle to throttle - but what is the timing for pot? No one seems to know. The effect of pot can stay with you for days, weeks, months. When is a person OK to drive?

THC doesn't make you drunk. It isn't like alcohol. Yes, it has an impact on your body, but so does Tylenol. If you wouldn't worry about someone taking Tylenol then driving, you shouldn't worry about them smoking then driving. Unless you're getting completely plastered, you can drive just fine while dancing with Mary Jane. Besides, pot makes you paranoid and a paranoid driver is a safe driver. He's looking out for everything around him and driving very defensively because he thinks everyone is a cop.


I don't dance with Mary Jane because of extensive drug testing for work, but there isn't any evidence to show that MJ is dangerous. Alcohol on the other hand...

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Another legal OTC drug that can seriously affect driving is diphenhydramine. Most of the "nighttime" cold or allergy medicines have it or a similar drug that is used both for its antihistamine and sleep-assisting qualities.

There has been testing in pilots flying simulators and the results were surprisingly negative - pilots were compromised well into the next day, some significantly. Diphenhydramine has a half-life of around 18 hours, yet its use is not regulated because of its "OTC" status. In the grand scheme of things I suspect there are plenty of people driving the morning after a Nyquil dose who are impaired and don't know it. I'm not saying that makes it okay to drive stoned, rather that there are plenty of ways to be an impaired driver, all of which should be scientifically studied. That cannabis is on Schedule 1 means it is almost impossible to conduct controlled studies in the way one might do a study on alcohol.

For the "contact high" folks - I'm not aware of a *documented* case of a person testing positive in their workplace for having spent a few minutes in the vicinity of another person using cannabis, but I'm certainly willing to read and learn. Either way I can understand anyone's desire to avoid casual contact for whatever reason they see fit. The smell doesn't particularly bother me any more than other kinds of smoke, but I prefer to limit my exposure to all burning particulate matter.

[2Yung2 Quit]

I'm more offended by campfire smoke.

[redhooker]

Originally Posted by jarata

not sure your right about that. It is legal as long as you are in these states, smoking in a public outside space, arent selling ,or have a certain quantity.Now if you cross state lines with it that it int legal then it may be an issue

Nope it’s quite illegal nationwide. Pot businesses are not even allowed to open bank accounts and it causes a lot of investment problems for people wanting to put money into the business of intoxication.

This means you absolutely can be arrested and charged for possession, use, and sale of marijuana by any federal law enforcement agency. Businesses that allow such activity (such as private campgrounds) could theoretically be opening themselves up to liability. I would certainly advise the local stoners to not attempt puffing the magic dragon in federal parks.

https://criminal.findlaw.com/crimina...uana-laws.html

https://www.safeaccessnow.org/federal_marijuana_law

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/...eduling-system

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

For the "contact high" folks - I'm not aware of a *documented* case of a person testing positive in their workplace for having spent a few minutes in the vicinity of another person using cannabis, but I'm certainly willing to read and learn. Either way I can understand anyone's desire to avoid casual contact for whatever reason they see fit. The smell doesn't particularly bother me any more than other kinds of smoke, but I prefer to limit my exposure to all burning particulate matter.

Would you bet your job, your family’s health insurance, and pension on it? That’s exactly what I have to gamble. It’s not about the smell, it’s about the exposure. For the same reason I am certain you would never walk onto a crowded playground and smoke a cigarette (not accusing you by any means) it is just as inconsiderate to smoke pot around strangers.

I am not demeaning anyone, but I think it’s important that people realize there are real risks for some of us. I would be completely ok with a nationwide legalization but we are not there yet.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

For the "contact high" folks - I'm not aware of a *documented* case of a person testing positive in their workplace for having spent a few minutes in the vicinity of another person using cannabis, ...

I haven't either, it's just a risk that I'm trying to mitigate. Nothing more.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by Itchytoe

THC doesn't make you drunk. It isn't like alcohol. Yes, it has an impact on your body, but so does Tylenol. If you wouldn't worry about someone taking Tylenol then driving, you shouldn't worry about them smoking then driving.

First you contrast THC to ETOH, then you compare it to acetaminophen? How many other kinds of chemicals and medications can you reach for to try to make a point that isn't proven one way or the other?

I wouldn't get on a plane with a stoned pilot, I wouldn't work with a heavy equipment operator that is stoned, and I wouldn't get in a car with a stoned driver. It's called intoxication because it has altered your mental and physical processes. Being paranoid doesn't somehow counteract the effects of intoxication, and it might be reckless to make those kinds of assertions.

Just don't imbibe and drive, period, and we'll all have one less thing to worry about.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by redhooker

Nope it’s quite illegal nationwide. Pot businesses are not even allowed to open bank accounts and it causes a lot of investment problems for people wanting to put money into the business of intoxication.

This means you absolutely can be arrested and charged for possession, use, and sale of marijuana by any federal law enforcement agency. Businesses that allow such activity (such as private campgrounds) could theoretically be opening themselves up to liability. I would certainly advise the local stoners to not attempt puffing the magic dragon in federal parks.

https://criminal.findlaw.com/crimina...uana-laws.html

https://www.safeaccessnow.org/federal_marijuana_law

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/...eduling-system



Would you bet your job, your family’s health insurance, and pension on it? That’s exactly what I have to gamble. It’s not about the smell, it’s about the exposure. For the same reason I am certain you would never walk onto a crowded playground and smoke a cigarette (not accusing you by any means) it is just as inconsiderate to smoke pot around strangers.

I am not demeaning anyone, but I think it’s important that people realize there are real risks for some of us. I would be completely ok with a nationwide legalization but we are not there yet.

I don't think we're contradicting each other. As I said, one is and should be free to control their immediate environment for whatever reasons are important to them. I don't react well to smoke of any kind and prefer to avoid all types if possible.


I work in highly (no pun intended) safety-intensive jobs, too, but interestingly will only get tested if there is an incident of some kind.

[Itchytoe]

Originally Posted by 1bigmess

First you contrast THC to ETOH, then you compare it to acetaminophen? How many other kinds of chemicals and medications can you reach for to try to make a point that isn't proven one way or the other?

I wouldn't get on a plane with a stoned pilot, I wouldn't work with a heavy equipment operator that is stoned, and I wouldn't get in a car with a stoned driver. It's called intoxication because it has altered your mental and physical processes. Being paranoid doesn't somehow counteract the effects of intoxication, and it might be reckless to make those kinds of assertions.

Just don't imbibe and drive, period, and we'll all have one less thing to worry about.

Easy there Cujo. I didn't bring up alcohol, V3600 did. It's his/her comparison. I'm simply pointing out that all forms of intoxication are not equal. Literally everything you put into your body alters your metal or physical processes. Having a burger and Coke intoxicates you. It changes your hormones and how you think. Ghrelin levels plummet, insulin levels spike, etc. Would you prefer I had used caffeine instead of acetaminophen? It literally binds to neuron receptors and doesn't allow your body to process naturally produced hormones, which leads to a flood of those hormones being processed as soon as the caffeine wears off. I bet you've driven while intoxicated by caffeine.



If you actually thought the point I was making hadn't been proven either way, you wouldn't be so pissed off that I made the point. Your argument that you shouldn't do it rests on the assumption that THC actually has been proven to negatively impact your ability to drive. And yet you admit that it hasn't. All of the data that actually is available show that pot doesn't make you a bad driver, unless you're Cheech and Chong and can't see through the cloud.


While pot is illegal in the US, it's not in other places in the world. Surprisingly, there's no pot intoxicated driver epidemic in those places. There is a big problem with alcohol impaired drivers, but not with THC impaired drivers. THC doesn't affect you similarly to alcohol and it has been proven, despite your assertion otherwise.

[Itchytoe]

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

I don't think we're contradicting each other. As I said, one is and should be free to control their immediate environment for whatever reasons are important to them.

Does that apply to people who want to fill their immediate environment with pot smoke? Are they not allowed to control their immediate environment also? What happens when two people with different desires for their immediate environment are near each other and sharing that environment? Who get to control and who is stuck bowing to the whims of the other?

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by Itchytoe

Your argument that you shouldn't do it rests on the assumption that THC actually has been proven to negatively impact your ability to drive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannab...paired_driving

[jarata]

Originally Posted by redhooker

Nope it’s quite illegal nationwide. Pot businesses are not even allowed to open bank accounts and it causes a lot of investment problems for people wanting to put money into the business of intoxication.

This means you absolutely can be arrested and charged for possession, use, and sale of marijuana by any federal law enforcement agency. Businesses that allow such activity (such as private campgrounds) could theoretically be opening themselves up to liability. I would certainly advise the local stoners to not attempt puffing the magic dragon in federal parks.

https://criminal.findlaw.com/crimina...uana-laws.html

https://www.safeaccessnow.org/federal_marijuana_law

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/...eduling-system



Would you bet your job, your family’s health insurance, and pension on it? That’s exactly what I have to gamble. It’s not about the smell, it’s about the exposure. For the same reason I am certain you would never walk onto a crowded playground and smoke a cigarette (not accusing you by any means) it is just as inconsiderate to smoke pot around strangers.

I am not demeaning anyone, but I think it’s important that people realize there are real risks for some of us. I would be completely ok with a nationwide legalization but we are not there yet.

on federal lands I agree but everywhere else in the state is fine,and the quantity to get busted for is quite large which i would say most people arent possessing.Also do you think the police are going to waste there time on such a matter,i think what federal enforcement is doing cracking down on illegal pot sales ,as for smoke what is your feeling about campfires not everyone likes that smoke

[keymastr]

I was on the golf course near Tampa a few years ago and quite a few of the elderly golfers were openly smoking pot on the course. It is everywhere, across all social lines. It is not just "hippies" although in my example they would have been the correct age to have been.

[Oldmso54]

Originally Posted by keymastr

I was on the golf course near Tampa a few years ago and quite a few of the elderly golfers were openly smoking pot on the course.

LMAO That's freakin hilarious I need to check out that course