Why would you legalize Marijuana?

[Spec]

Originally posted by Felch X
Wow, the one topic where the libertarians and communists can pass around the peace pipe and toke heavily.

Yea, more than 100 posts and not one insult. I'm impressed.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Felch X
Wow, the one topic where the libertarians and communists can pass around the peace pipe and toke heavily.

Not the only one. We agree on many things, actually, like ending corporate welfare, we're both opposed to imperialism, we both are concerned about the growth of the police state, and Wraith and I are both big anime fans.

[Seeker]

"imperialism"

Real libertarians might differ on what you call 'economic imperialism'...maybe only Argentina is an example, but how many countries are stupid enough to surrender their sovereignty to a band of unlected 'economic experts'?

[Sava]

How many of you Americans here actually vote? I would assume most of the posters here are male between 15-25. Unfortunately not many young people vote. Make your voices heard. That's the only way things are going to change.

[Dr Strangelove]

This just in. In Memphis, TN the driver of a day-care's van was found to have a bag of marijuana in his pants during his autopsy. The accident he was involved in killed 4 preschool children in addition to himself. Tests to determine whether he was on marijuana at the time of the accident are under way.

Well at least these kids won't be bothered by marijuana any more.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
This just in. In Memphis, TN the driver of a day-care's van was found to have a bag of marijuana in his pants during his autopsy. The accident he was involved in killed 4 preschool children in addition to himself. Tests to determine whether he was on marijuana at the time of the accident are under way.

Well at least these kids won't be bothered by marijuana any more.

Driving under the influence would still be very, very illegal, Doctor. I'm sure you're aware of that.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
This just in. In Memphis, TN the driver of a day-care's van was found to have a bag of marijuana in his pants during his autopsy. The accident he was involved in killed 4 preschool children in addition to himself. Tests to determine whether he was on marijuana at the time of the accident are under way.

Well at least these kids won't be bothered by marijuana any more.

*ehrm* And how many kids haven´t been killed by drunk drivers? And still alcohol is legal. Poor argument, m´dear doctor...

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Kamrat X


*ehrm* And how many kids haven´t been killed by drunk drivers? And still alcohol is legal. Poor argument, m´dear doctor...

You're new around here aren't you? You're assuming that I'm in favor of legal alcohol. I'm not, so this argument won't work with me.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Guynemer


Driving under the influence would still be very, very illegal, Doctor. I'm sure you're aware of that.

Defining "under the influence" of marijuana is much more difficult than defining under the influence of alcohol. There is a farily consistent relationship between blood levels and the degree of intoxication of alcohol because in the body alcohol is distributed between blood, the other extracellular fluids, and the intracellular fluids. Therefore the level of alcohol in the blood corresponds to its level in the brain. The same is not true for marijuana, which tends to accumulate in the brain while being cleared from the blood. Marijuana can of course be detected in the urine even once cleared from the blood because minute amounts diffusing back into the blood from brain cells is rapidly cleared from the blood by the kidneys and concentrated in the urine. Field testing for marijuana via urine samples is generally out of the question, but many police departments carry devices for detecting alcohol in the breath.

In order to enforce a law against diving under the influence of marijuana every traffic offender would have to be taken back to the police station to urinate. It would also mean that you could be charged even though you last smoked up to two weeks ago. Laws against driving under the influence of marijuana just aren't practical to enforce.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove


You're new around here aren't you? You're assuming that I'm in favor of legal alcohol. I'm not, so this argument won't work with me.

OK, I didn´t know that... damn...

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove


Defining "under the influence" of marijuana is much more difficult than defining under the influence of alcohol. There is a farily consistent relationship between blood levels and the degree of intoxication of alcohol because in the body alcohol is distributed between blood, the other extracellular fluids, and the intracellular fluids. Therefore the level of alcohol in the blood corresponds to its level in the brain. The same is not true for marijuana, which tends to accumulate in the brain while being cleared from the blood. Marijuana can of course be detected in the urine even once cleared from the blood because minute amounts diffusing back into the blood from brain cells is rapidly cleared from the blood by the kidneys and concentrated in the urine. Field testing for marijuana via urine samples is generally out of the question, but many police departments carry devices for detecting alcohol in the breath.

In order to enforce a law against diving under the influence of marijuana every traffic offender would have to be taken back to the police station to urinate. It would also mean that you could be charged even though you last smoked up to two weeks ago. Laws against driving under the influence of marijuana just aren't practical to enforce.

But that doesn´t necessarily mean that the residual marijuana is affecting your driving, now does it?

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove


You're new around here aren't you? You're assuming that I'm in favor of legal alcohol. I'm not, so this argument won't work with me.

Wow.

That's a new one on me. Don't really know how to respond to that.

I certainly salute your bravery, if not your Quixotic opinion.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Guynemer


Wow.

That's a new one on me. Don't really know how to respond to that.

I certainly salute your bravery, if not your Quixotic opinion.

Quixotic In my dictionary that means "chivalorus and unselfish...

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Kamrat X


Quixotic In my dictionary that means "chivalorus and unselfish...

It has another meaning, sort of like "a noble, hopeless effort."


And now, an academic question for Dr. S. which is probably of no interest to anyone--Does marijuana show up in the CSF (or, as one of my neuro profs so memorably described it, "the brain piss")? If so, does it "hang around" like it does in the urine?