Legalized Weed Issues ....

Every person is effected different, you do remember from "back in the day" when the "group pot smoking" was going on...?
There was always a person in the group who passed on their turn to take their hit...? lol
4 hits for 1 person could be the beginning of a good buzz, where as 4 hits for another could be a total wipe out for them.
If you think your system is clean when you return to work on Monday from your party weekend.....good for you.
That's a gamble I won't be taking, it's not worth the risk of loosing my way of making my revenue.

 

Every person is effected different, you do remember from "back in the day" when the "group pot smoking" was going on...?
There was always a person in the group who passed on their turn to take their hit...? lol
4 hits for 1 person could be the beginning of a good buzz, where as 4 hits for another could be a total wipe out for them.
If you think your system is clean when you return to work on Monday from your party weekend.....good for you.
That's a gamble I won't be taking, it's not worth the risk of loosing my way of making my revenue.
Went on vacation for 2 weeks, traveled back home for a visit. (Boston)
Saw my buddy while sitting in his music room, having a beer, conversation he broke out some good stuff.
Without being offensive I said no,....I'd been away from the stuff for a longer period of time because of my driving I just said no thanks.
When I returned from vacation, before I got my bills for that run, the dispatcher gave me the form and said...."Your number came up head over to the clinic for a random drug test".
Where would I be if I had "enjoyed the moment" while on vacation, you never know when your up for a drug test.

 

My vote:

Weed should be legal. Sure the kids abuse it, but it can do a lot of good. I was on harsh painkillers, muscle relaxants, etc Now I vaporize some MJ as needed and I'm pill free. I specifically get the low THC high CBD weed as I am looking for the medical benefits and not the high.

ZERO tolerance for DWI. Get caught, and lose license forever. Kill someone, and go to jail until the innocent comes back to life.

BTW - the guy that smoked a little is a lot sharper the next day than the guy that had a few drinks. Personally, I think alcohol should be illegal with all the harm it does. If my kid is going to rebel, and abuse a substance - I'd rather it be weed than alcohol.

 

First off, a bit about myself. I used to smoke a ton of weed, I quit six months before getting my CDL, almost 13 years ago. I have followed the law to the letter of the law. I have never had an accident, I haven't had a ticket in close to ten years, and that ticket was a seatbelt violation. We are in agreement it can't be in your system, we are in agreement don't drive under the influence of anything at all ever. That being said, the law needs to catch up with the times . It's time to start testing for INTOXICATION ! It being in your system doesn't say squat about are you under the influence. What is so hard to understand about this concept? I obey but disagree with the law in its current form and enforcement. As for the what if somebody hit somebody your loved one angle, my first question is going to be what caused the accident? Let me repeat that, it might be tough for some people to follow, what actually caused the accident? If somebody rear ends a truck at a red light and dies, whether MJ is in his system or not, the trucker nor the MJ caused this accident. As for the whole what if it happened to you or somebody you loved arguement, it is not a very good or intelligent arguement unless the intoxication was the direct cause of the accident, if it is just a side note or detail it should not come into play. Why would I say something so callous and cold, because I've been to more funerals caused by the elderly who should have never been driving, followed by deer, who should not have been being deer on a public highway, then finally drunk drivers, yet never in my life have I been sitting at a funeral where as family or friends we looked at each other and said if he wouldnt have smoked MJ a week or two before the accident, we would not be at this funeral. If I drive another twenty years and the law never changes, I will never break this unfair law. The minute it does I'm going to get off work on a Friday, smoke a fatty, order a pizza, and probably sit in my garage and either wrench on one of my bikes or go fishing. You people keep using this BS arguement about people smoking weed and driving, and nobody that I have ever seen on this website has ever advocated or supported that in any way that I recall reading. Getting back to safety, if safety is really number one priority, then why not start testing and taking elderly people off the road that can't prove they are capable of safely operating a vehicle? Why do we continue to let inexperienced drivers, some that don't even speak English, to drive trucks on our highways? The reason is the AARP has a strong lobby that votes, and getting blue hairs off the road that should not be there is political suicide. The Mega's have a strong lobby also that don't want to have to invest any more money then they have to in getting rookie truckers CDL's then they have to. This country for decades has had reckless driving laws in place, instead of enforcing the laws in existence we come up with no handheld cellphone use laws, if you were talking on a cell and caused a wreck why not use the laws that have been around for ever? There have been laws to govern safe driving for decades, why not enforce those laws instead of continuing to write new ones? If we can continue to write new laws why cant we ever review some of the old laws and change them to keep them current with the technology and the times? I hope this clears up the stance I take on this fickle subject. My opinions and thoughts are not based on a desire to go and smoke weed and drive my truck around looking for families to kill. They are based on reality, the weed you smoked last week will not kill somebody this week. I will continue to obey the law as it is currently written and every time I see somebody make the arguement if you want to smoke weed you should not be driving I will vehemently argue the stupidity of that statement. If anybody ever doubts I walk the walk just pass me that cup and I'll gladly fill it up for you. It's time we start basing safety on facts and hard data and not personal passion, ignorance, stereotypes, and fundraising . I'm sorry if this opinion offends anybody, I'm offended the ignorance on this subject, and I've been to enough funerals in my lifetime that if I thought this was truly a safety issue I assure you my opinion would be different . Safe driving everybody.

Adam

 

I never had the need for it after I was put in jail for a baggie of it when I was 16. Got a class A in my home state. Commercial Fishing also. Never saw why a plant was so important. I'm old, and was talked into that for the pain I have. It works. I won't drive with it, slows me down. Sure makes me better after a long day on rough roads. Don't use it much. Don't think Kids should mess with it. Some of them smell spray paint. Who am I to judge. I would support it. But that's just Me. 0/0 + low wages = 0/0

 

Well Adam
You are entitled to your opinion, unfortunately, your only thinking about yourself, and not what's in the best interest for everyone which a standard of measure that everyone should comply with then making exception to regulations for excuses.
Were all a different "breed of cat" out there, and for your 12 years of experience I'm quite sure your comfortable with your driving skills that gives you this shield,
"that nothing can happen to me"....!
Not everyone's faculties for controlling large trucks is the same, or their driving skills in adverse weather conditions.
That's why some drivers choose to get off the road till conditions become better to continue to drive, and other drivers have skills to keep trucking.
There's another group of drivers that just don't have any idea of what there doing but are "risk takers" who think there improvement skill for driving truck will get better if they continue to practice safety.
Your saying by rewriting regulations that allow drivers to keep pot smoking substances in their bodies, even though they were not smoking the day they tested positive is an okay thing....?
The driver who took 4 hits of a joint and only got a buzz, verses the driver who took 2 hits of a joint, and was stoned, and his reaction skills were diminished to being in control from his night before work party, is okay to drive, because the rewritten regulation says it's okay drive a commercial vehicle....?
You have the same abilities, and faculties to operate, and control your vehicle under all conditions, at all times, with a party hangover....?
No don't be foolish with that thinking young man that smoking a joint and going to find someone to kill in a vehicle accident is what your looking to do.
The fact of the matter is, it will be "from out of no where" something will happen, and your little false belief that your controlled little space is good, but the reality will hit you that it's not good leaving you helpless looking for "an excuse your way out" because your reaction to process the events the just unfolded in front of you in a matter of seconds left you unable to react to them in time, or make the wrong choice which might cost you your life...?
Family's not important you, young man...?
Your parents, other siblings, your wife, children....?
So it's okay now that the regulations have been rewritten that legal pot substance can be in our bodies while on duty driving a commercial vehicle.
A "weekend party hardy" driver who's starting his run, just rear ended someone of your family members returning home from a family event.
Your okay with that you say...?
Young man your so wrong, and self centered on this.
As a professional truck driver who operates a commercial vehicle, it your responsibility to safely drive your truck, with the motoring public, your paid revenue to do that.
It's not a personal passion, or political football, safety saves lives, and you practice safety, obey the law, because you want to remain gainfully employed to make revenue for you, and your family.....PERIOD
If you didn't you'd be out on the street looking for work, which nobody would hire you because your driving record is Bad....Welcome to the Real World, Which you, and everyone else Conforms Too.....LOL
You want to "smoke pot" do it...just stay from behind the wheel of commercial vehicles to drive, till you body clears the substance...!

 

I would have to kinda disagree on this til your body clears the substance stance. As does really any checimal legal or not actually clear the body? This I would say is a half truth because now some companies doing hair follicle tests, and with these tests can they not only tell how far back one last used a substance?

Now one can go and have a few drinks! up to 4 hrs before coming on duty and cannot have above .04 (but really who of us have a test kit for this on us)

so let's say you have a few drinks up til the 4 hour mark. Now can one honestly say that 4 hours later that it's all out of ones system. It may be for you but what about the next person?

Just because pot thc actually attaches itself to the fatty tissues one isn't high, or under the influence if one decided he had 2 days at home used first day to doobie up. I have in my past never had a single high last for more than 24hrs. But I have drank so much alcohol at one point in time that when I finally woke up from being passed out was hungover for 2 days.

again I don't condone or support drinking and driving or those using illegal or recreational substances
and driving.

 

To Jaebro,

You sound like you are a very intelligent man, yet very close minded. We agree on the whole something coming from out of nowhere thing, which is why I take absolutely no chances what so ever, I abstain, and I take safety very seriously, it is my number one goal. The fact is as the law is written and enforced, A sober person 100 percent rested and properly prepared for driving could have a not at fault accident, and be criminally responsible for MJ being in there system, even though they aren't remotely under the influence. That is what I have an issue with. These laws as written are from when there were not tests for intoxication, just whether it was in your system, there are more modern tests that can detect under the influence or inebriation. I feel that is the test that should be used. I respect anybody's like or dislike of all the ills of society, be it MJ or other drug use, gambling, alcohol, prostitution, porn, etc. if you don't want to partake in something then don't. But don't use your preconceived notions of a subject to say that since you don't nobody else should either. The roads are a dangerous place, filled with hazards and stress and if a guy has two or three days off his time off should be his to do what he finds enjoyable and relaxing. If that said driver wants to take a couple puffs as long as he is not under the influence upon reporting for duty I have no issue with it and for the life of me can't figure out why anybody else would either. Would it be any different if that same driver went boozing all weekend and reported to work with alcohol in his system or not properly rested. Even if a driver takes nothing at all and drinks nothing at all, spends all weekend chasing tail then reports for duty exhausted are you really trying to tell me he will be a safer driver then someone with MJ in his system that is not under the influence? If someone hits somebody I love and care about and MJ is in their system I'm going to look at the facts of the accident first, not the facts of drug and alcohol test. If the person that causes the wreck is under the influence and that is the direct cause of the accident then that person should get the book thrown at them, lock them up, take their license, etc. in today's society there have been many accidents that a sober person caused that a drunk goes to jail for, the drunk is wrong for being under the influence, but let's also start prosecuting the people who CAUSE accidents, and stop investigating accidents according to the urinalysis as opposed to the facts of the accident. I hope people that read my posts on this subject understand I do not smoke or do drugs, but I do feel that if I choose to off duty it should be my choice to make and if when I report to work I am not under the influence and am properly rested my license, lively hood, and freedom should not be at risk because of trace amounts that are in my system. The times are changing, more and more states are going to legalize this. This country has wasted trillions of dollars trying to wage a war on a naturally occurring plant. As someone who formerly used it, has drunken beer before, has seen other people ruin their lives with real drugs, I can tell you MJ is the least of the worlds problems. As a former bouncer I'd rather deal with stoners then drunks, alcohol is a far worse, more addicting intoxicant that does way more damage to the world then MJ. Look up the lobby group LEAP, ( law enforcement against prohibition). These are people that were on the front lines of the war on drugs, and they will tell you, the war is pointless. It costs billions and fills graves and does nothing to keep drugs out of our society and away from children. It's easier for a kid to get MJ or heroin that it is for the same kid to get Marlboro's or beer, something is just wrong with that.also, no matter what laws we pass and how many people we fine and lock up as a society laws do not change people's behavior. If you don't believe me then when you are driving down the road take notice of how many people are still talking and texting on phones, how many kids aren't in child seats, speeding, reckless driving etc. it's time for the laws to catch up with the times.

Adam

 

Info on legalized pot in Holland:

In May 2011 the Dutch government announced that tourist are to be banned from Dutch coffee shops, starting in the southern provinces and at the end of 2011 in the rest of the country.
"In order to tackle the nuisance and criminality associated with coffee shops and drug trafficking, the open-door policy of coffee shops will end," (the Dutch health and justice ministers in a letter to the Dutch parliament)[SUP][6]
A Dutch judge has ruled that tourists can legally be banned from entering cannabis cafés, as part of new restrictions which come into force in 2012.[SUP][43][/SUP][/SUP]

 

I have wondered what the laws over there were pertaining to commercial drivers due to things being legal over there.

Adam