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Should driving during or right after smoking pot be legal?

Should driving during or right after smoking pot be legal?


  • Total voters
    57
3 Second google. Link headline is incorrect. It says 3 were killed. It was actually 4 when you read the article.

This is classic.

There is no way for the test they gave him to determine if he was under the imfluence or just smoked pot some time in the past few weeks.

They are working on tests to see if one smoked enough recently to be considered impaired, like blood alcohol levels.

But right now its pass/fail, and simply doesn't begin to prove impairment.
 
Here's my problem (well, one of many, lol). Every time the subject is legalization of marijuana, the pro side almost invariably compares pot to alcohol and almost always concludes that pot is actually better and safer so shouldn't our traffic and criminal laws be changed to reflect that one is just not as bad as the other?

You're ok with non-violent people spending time in jail for such a minor thing?

You really can't think this through? Or you are being purposefully disingenuous?

Driving while intoxicated isn't the only aspect of safety in this issue. Pot could possibly (I am NOT saying it is) be more dangerous than alcohol with regard to driving, and still be a safer drug to use for recreation. I will leave you to ponder how that might be.
 
The way he's phrasing things, it's possible he's simply playing devil's advocate to spur conversation.

Except that he started out his statement saying "one of his problems, among many". I see, there, a person who is claiming he has genuine misgivings.

Besides, if he is going to try to provoke intelligent discussion, he will have to exhibit much more intelligence than that. This issue has been discussed at length, here. The safety aspects have been explored. It is already exceedingly obvious that operating complex machinery isn't the only safety concern.

On the other hand, If I have missed some people saying that pot doesn't cause impairment, mea culpa. But I wouldn't have taken them seriously anyway.
 
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Except that he started out his statement saying "one of his problems, among many". I see, there, a person who is claiming he has genuine misgivings.

Besides, if he is going to try to provoke intelligent discussion, he will have to exhibit much more intelligence than that. This issue has been discussed at length, here. The safety aspects have been explored. It is already exceedingly obvious that operating complex machinery isn't the only safety concern.

On the other hand, If I have missed some people saying that pot doesn't cause impairment, mea culpa. But I wouldn't have taken them seriously anyway.
With the exception of specific current events, pretty much everything has been discussed here at length. The purpose of the forum is as much to interact as it is to (hopefully) provide information.
 
With the exception of specific current events, pretty much everything has been discussed here at length. The purpose of the forum is as much to interact as it is to (hopefully) provide information.

If you think his post was an intelligent attempt to re-open covered territory, I can't help you.
 
There should be a limit to how much of any drug that one can consume and still drive. Alcohol for example has a limit, in most cases you can have a beer or two and still drive legally.

So actually it is legal to drive after consuming alcohol, just as it should be legal to smoke a bowl and then drive. Of course there should be open bong laws just like open containers laws lol. Cause damn that bong is going to spill.
 
If you think his post was an intelligent attempt to re-open covered territory, I can't help you.
To paraphrase one of your recent comments... Are you purposely being obtuse? What mental gymnastics did you use to equate my comment about the purpose of the forum in general as having anything whatsoever to do with X Factor's posts?
 
Here's my problem (well, one of many, lol). Every time the subject is legalization of marijuana, the pro side almost invariably compares pot to alcohol and almost always concludes that pot is actually better and safer so shouldn't our traffic and criminal laws be changed to reflect that one is just not as bad as the other?

You're ok with non-violent people spending time in jail for such a minor thing?

Those people are lying to you if they say pot does not impair you. Pot just like alchol impairs you. Sure there are some potheads out there who can safely drive while being stoned, just like there are some drunks out there who can safely drive while being drunk. However those exception do not justify endangering everyone else on the road.
 
It depends IMO, for an everyday stoner I don't believe it possible for any amount of marijuana to impair him/her to the extent of a black out drunk however for a 1st timer or infrequent smoker a hit could impair you far more than being drunk.

That being said, I don't want people to be impaired at all on the road... I don't even want their cell phones on TBH.
 
Hell no. If pot makes me have to read the same page of a book twenty times over before I can follow the story then no way in hell should I be operating a vehicle on it.

or sit at a stop sign waiting for it to turn green
 
You take me too seriously. I must learn that all humor is not self-evident. But you do tend to follow the speed limit which is not the wri=ong strategy if you drive in the right lanes. Seriously, the slight paranoia makes you a more careful driver.

I don't drive while buzzed and I don't think anybody should. Why? Self-preservation.

But for the OP, there are different levels of stoned as there are different levels of alcohol inebriation. A little is OK, a lot is not. If you misjudge, you may be headed to prison.






You do realize that someone driving too slow is almost as bad as someone driving too fast? People wanting to move the correct speed will have a tendency to want to pass, causing additional issues.
 
As far as you know, has anyone ever been injured or killed by a driver who was under the influence of pot? I've been told that there is not one single fatality attributable to m/j.

It's not that there isn't any, its that such reports are rarely, if ever, reported. I personally know someone who was killed due to someone high on pot and driving. They were not driving slow. In fact they were speeding. From what I gathered the guy was so high that he couldn't feel his extremities unless his attention was directly brought to those extremities. So his foot was probably pressed down harder than he realized due to an improperly placed drivers seat. (ie seat was too close to the front for his size) He was also driving a stolen vehicle. Though in his defense he hadn't realized that it wasn't his vehicle in his drug induced state. The owner had left the keys in the ignition and the car was the same make/model/paint job as the drivers car. So it was kind of understandable that the driver had gotten in it. I've made that mistake myself a couple of times and I wasn't even drunk or high but completely sober. But it was also that sobriety that made me realize I wasn't in my car because the inside didn't have the same items in it. And I'm not the only one that happens to. Someone got into my car thinking it was his before also..at least until he got inside lol.

Anyways you might be thinking how I know all these details...all I can say is I live in a small town and in small towns word spreads quickly when something major happens.
 
You take me too seriously. I must learn that all humor is not self-evident. But you do tend to follow the speed limit which is not the wri=ong strategy if you drive in the right lanes. Seriously, the slight paranoia makes you a more careful driver.

I don't drive while buzzed and I don't think anybody should. Why? Self-preservation.

But for the OP, there are different levels of stoned as there are different levels of alcohol inebriation. A little is OK, a lot is not. If you misjudge, you may be headed to prison.

I'll learn. :wink:

Pot definitely affects your judgement, and the speed which one can handle an event (ball bouncing into the street) or the level reaction (slamming on the brakes when an acorn falls in the street). Been there, many years ago.

Those behind you need to be able to react to anything YOU do. If there is no foreseeable cause for your reaction, it's not going to end well.
 
Ok, but as you can see with some of your friends, it can be done safely, right?

I've driven drunk before (so long as we're being honest), and come away completely scott free. However, just because you technically can do something stupid and dangerous without getting in trouble, doesn't mean that you should.
 
I think I can safely suggest that marijuana was not the primary cause of this behavior. If he stole a sandwich, I would believe it but a car is just too ambitious for a stoner. Or it was a good excuse for car theft. Or I'm wrong.

Choose one.

It's not that there isn't any, its that such reports are rarely, if ever, reported. I personally know someone who was killed due to someone high on pot and driving. They were not driving slow. In fact they were speeding. From what I gathered the guy was so high that he couldn't feel his extremities unless his attention was directly brought to those extremities. So his foot was probably pressed down harder than he realized due to an improperly placed drivers seat. (ie seat was too close to the front for his size) He was also driving a stolen vehicle. Though in his defense he hadn't realized that it wasn't his vehicle in his drug induced state. The owner had left the keys in the ignition and the car was the same make/model/paint job as the drivers car. So it was kind of understandable that the driver had gotten in it. I've made that mistake myself a couple of times and I wasn't even drunk or high but completely sober. But it was also that sobriety that made me realize I wasn't in my car because the inside didn't have the same items in it. And I'm not the only one that happens to. Someone got into my car thinking it was his before also..at least until he got inside lol.

Anyways you might be thinking how I know all these details...all I can say is I live in a small town and in small towns word spreads quickly when something major happens.
 
Which means you are too stoned to drive. So don't drive. Or go to jail.


I'll learn. :wink:

Pot definitely affects your judgement, and the speed which one can handle an event (ball bouncing into the street) or the level reaction (slamming on the brakes when an acorn falls in the street). Been there, many years ago.

Those behind you need to be able to react to anything YOU do. If there is no foreseeable cause for your reaction, it's not going to end well.
 
However, just because you technically can do something stupid and dangerous without getting in trouble, doesn't mean that you should.

1000% agree.

The core of it all, is someone willing to take the responsibility if it doesn't go well, for the rest of their lives?
 
Since it appears from many arguments I've seen that pot actually has no ill or dangerous effects either to the user or any one around them and causes basically zero impairment of judgment or reflexes, shouldn't driving while high be legal? If not, why not?

Choices will be yes, no, and I don't know.

Need a second to get the poll up.

I don't know who's claiming that, but it's rather silly.

There is no reason for pot to be illegal, but that doesn't mean it doesn't impair certain functions while a person is on it.

So do a lot of prescription medications, as well as alcohol, and it should be illegal for a person to drive while on any of them. I'd include pot in that, no question.
 
Which means you are too stoned to drive. So don't drive. Or go to jail.

And who is going to judge when you're too stoned to drive?

*Cop* One toke or two?
*Toker* Three, but my body weight says I can handle it.
 
I think I can safely suggest that marijuana was not the primary cause of this behavior. If he stole a sandwich, I would believe it but a car is just too ambitious for a stoner. Or it was a good excuse for car theft. Or I'm wrong.

Choose one.

Did you not read what I stated? In your haste to promote your agenda I think you missed a very important detail.
 
Since it appears from many arguments I've seen that pot actually has no ill or dangerous effects either to the user or any one around them and causes basically zero impairment of judgment or reflexes, shouldn't driving while high be legal? If not, why not?

Choices will be yes, no, and I don't know.

Need a second to get the poll up.

I think we need to go to functional enforcement. If you're driving is impaired and you're seen swerving or being reckless, you can get pulled over and possibly arrested. But there should be a measured effect. Then you don't need to run around with special laws and questionable enforcement.
 
When you **** up, that's how you'll get caught. Very simple really.

And who is going to judge when you're too stoned to drive?

*Cop* One toke or two?
*Toker* Three, but my body weight says I can handle it.
 
When you **** up, that's how you'll get caught. Very simple really.

So even if you don't bounce off a curb, nail a parked car or swerve into oncoming traffic, you think hindering traffic in general, even in the right lane many states have minimum speeds, is not a concern?

Do you think tests should be developed similar to the breathalizers and States to set limits of 'intoxication' for on the spot checks?
 
I did read what you stated.
t's not that there isn't any, its that such reports are rarely, if ever, reported. I personally know someone who was killed due to someone high on pot and driving. They were not driving slow. In fact they were speeding. From what I gathered the guy was so high that he couldn't feel his extremities unless his attention was directly brought to those extremities. So his foot was probably pressed down harder than he realized due to an improperly placed drivers seat. (ie seat was too close to the front for his size) He was also driving a stolen vehicle. Though in his defense he hadn't realized that it wasn't his vehicle in his drug induced state. The owner had left the keys in the ignition and the car was the same make/model/paint job as the drivers car. So it was kind of understandable that the driver had gotten in it. I've made that mistake myself a couple of times and I wasn't even drunk or high but completely sober. But it was also that sobriety that made me realize I wasn't in my car because the inside didn't have the same items in it. And I'm not the only one that happens to. Someone got into my car thinking it was his before also..at least until he got inside lol.

If you've ever been so high on pot that you couldn't feel your extremities, I hope you'll turn me on to your dealer. Must be some good **** since in 50+ years of pot smoking I've managed to stay in touch with my extremities.

What agenda do you think I have? Is it possible I'm just conversing without an "agenda"? I reserve "agendas" for when I get paid.

Did you not read what I stated? In your haste to promote your agenda I think you missed a very important detail.
 
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