Cannabis News Stop the Drug War!
  Toking and Driving: The Secret Peril
Posted by CN Staff on May 17, 2002 at 06:58:58 PT
By Zen Ruryk, City Hall Bureau Chief 
Source: Toronto Sun 

cannabis The prevalent use of pot has sparked the authors of a new report on drug use in Toronto to raise the red flag about smoking and driving. The 11th annual report from the Research Group on Drugs says that 14% of Toronto adults smoked cannabis in 2000.

A survey conducted in 2001 found that 23% of junior high and high school students smoked weed or other forms of cannabis. "The relatively high levels of marijuana use raise concerns with respect to driving under the influence of the drug," the report says.

"The use of designated drivers for marijuana smokers is rarely promoted in schools or the general public since, from a policy perspective, it is difficult to propose safety guidelines for the use of an illegal substance."

The membership of the group which prepared the report includes representatives from the Toronto health department, Toronto Police, the RCMP and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

DECRIMINALIZE

The report was compiled using information from a number of studies.

Joyce Bernstein, an epidemiologist with the Toronto health department, said that decriminalizing marijuana would make it possible to embark on education programs like the ones in place to discourage drunk driving.

"You cannot get someone in a school to say, 'If you're stoned, don't get behind the wheel,' " she added. "They're not suppose to acknowledge that anyone even does smoke. Whereas with alcohol, there's a different attitude because it's technically legal. It's not really legal for most of the students that they speak to, but there's just a different attitude."

The report also says:

* Crack continues to be favoured among the 15,000 Torontonians who inject drugs.

* About 5% of junior high and high school students reported sniffing glue, while 9% used other solvents such as gas and nail polish to get high. That's up from the 1% to 2% who reported using the substances in the early 1990s.

* About 3% of adults and 6% of students reported using Ecstasy.

Note: Report calls for education programs to tackle issue.

Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Author: Zen Ruryk, City Hall Bureau Chief
Published: Friday, May 17, 2002
Copyright: 2002 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: editor@sunpub.com
Website: http://www.fyitoronto.com/torsun.shtml

Related Articles & Web Site:

Canadian Links
http://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htm

Laws Have No Effect on Pot-Smoking Young
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12703.shtml

Canada: The Debate Over Decriminalization
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12697.shtml

Should We Treat Pot Like Tobacco? Senators Ask
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12696.shtml


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Comment #19 posted by RavingDave on May 18, 2002 at 11:24:57 PT
Grave Peril
When I was in high school, my friend and I used to cut class, hop in his car, and drive around while smoking a joint. I remember one day when we decided to go over to a friend's house on the other side of town. He only lived about half-an-hour away, so off we went.

After a while, I looked around, realized we had missed a turn, and told my friend to turn around. We headed back the way we came, found the missed turn, and were once again on the correct road.

Another little while passed, and once again I realized that I had no idea where we were. We turned around again, came back to another missed turn, and got back on the path.

We continued on in this way for some time. The highlight came when I turned to look at my friend, and he had an unlit cigarette hanging, rather limply, from his mouth. I think it had been there for at least ten minutes. "Dude," I said, "are you gonna light that, or what?"

In the end, we reached our destination, but it took over an hour-and-a-half. I doubt we ever approached the speed limit. In my opinion, this is the true peril of driving while stoned. It's only a real problem if you are in a hurry.

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Comment #18 posted by Jose Melendez on May 18, 2002 at 04:18:40 PT:

I think this works...
I've never received an answer from this email address, but here is an old address I found for Marc Emery.

memery@emeryseeds.com

This Google search tends to confirm this:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=memery@emeryseeds.com


[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #17 posted by FoM on May 17, 2002 at 22:22:13 PT
BGreen
We have a Barnes and Noble Bookstore about 50 miles from here. I'll remember that when we go to that town again. Thanks!

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #16 posted by BGreen on May 17, 2002 at 22:08:22 PT
Barnes and Noble
I get High Times, Heads, and Cannabis Culture there, and I even bought Ed Rosenthals' "The Big Book of Buds." They carry grow books in their 'Gardening' section.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #15 posted by FoM on May 17, 2002 at 21:40:29 PT
BGreen
Finding information in the magazine is a big help because we can't get them here. You have to go to an adult bookstore to get a High Times even. I don't think Cannabis Culture is even available at an adult store. My husband wanted to get a High Times a while back and had to drive quite a distance to find an adult book store. Adult bookstores aren't liked to well in our neck of the woods. They used to have High Times years ago at a headshop but they made them convert the headshop to another type store. That was in the mid seventies and it's still the same way in that town.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #14 posted by BGreen on May 17, 2002 at 20:07:08 PT
Even the little things
I found those email addresses by looking in the front of my Cannabis Culture magazine. It took longer to type them than to find them. Tiny things like this can save you tons of time. This community has experts in just about every field, and we need to feel free to call upon each other for help.

I'm offering my help to all of you, just ask.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #13 posted by FoM on May 17, 2002 at 19:25:49 PT
BGreen
Thank you. I appreciate your volunteering to help. I sure will keep it in mind. Maybe we could set one of my ezboards to talk about ideas. I don't use them but I still maintain them and could even make a board that whoever goes in it must use a password. That would be interesting and then ideas could be talked about but with privacy. They have lots of banner ads but the board is free. I could ad a board just for C News discussions if anyone would want. I would like to wait until after I get hooked up to the satellite though but something to think about.

http://pub3.ezboard.com/bdrugpolicytalk

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #12 posted by BGreen on May 17, 2002 at 19:06:05 PT
Those were my sentiments
I used the inclusive words we, us, and our, not because I think I speak for everybody, but I've read those comments from many people in the past.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #11 posted by BGreen on May 17, 2002 at 18:56:02 PT
FoM
If you ever need any help, just ask. Most of us will drop what we're doing to help you, because we appreciate you, and we know you sacrifice a lot for our sake.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #10 posted by BGreen on May 17, 2002 at 18:51:16 PT
Firewall
Zone Alarm is free for personal use. I was amazed at how many computers were trying to gain access to my computer. Most aren't malicious, but you need to protect yourself.

I have to give the OK before ANY program connects to the internet. Some programs I've installed will try to access the internet without my knowledge, and I've been able to permanently block their access.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 17, 2002 at 17:53:48 PT
Thanks so much for the information!
Since I will be able to do much more with a satellite one of the first things I want to do is visit other sites that concentrate on Cannabis Issues. I really can't do that now and have a life besides. I don't have any smart ideas how to expand Cannabis News and I think I need to find time to read and watch and learn and then I'll get ideas how to make C News better. We should be extensions of one another. No one web site or organization will change the laws against Cannabis. It takes a team of people reading, writing, learning and applying that knowledge constructively and that is what we seem to do best here on C News. It's a place to learn and share and vent. That is what I hoped it would mature into and because of all of you it really is.

Thanks Dan, BGreen and JHarshaw

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #8 posted by JHarshaw on May 17, 2002 at 17:26:55 PT
Contact list
FoM,

I hope this may be of use to you.

http://www.pot-tv.net/contact.html

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #7 posted by BGreen on May 17, 2002 at 17:26:33 PT
Cannabis Culture
Dana Larsen editor@cannabisculture.com Ed Rosenthal asked@cannabisculture.com

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #6 posted by Dan B on May 17, 2002 at 15:36:15 PT:

Sorry . . .
I don't know how tocontact them. They don't seem to have an email listing on their website, either.

Dan B

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 17, 2002 at 11:05:03 PT
Thanks Dan
I have 128 MB I hope that's enough. I have had so many problems with getting around the net currently it will be like heaven. I can't go look for news articles like I will be able to do. I often just stop searching and I don't like needing to do that and soon won't! Yippie!

Do you know how to contact Cannabis Culture, Pot-TV and Marc Emery? Trying to find emails are just as time consuming as looking for news so I would appreciate you or anyone posting how to get in touch with them if anyone knows. Thanks!

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #4 posted by Dan B on May 17, 2002 at 10:50:53 PT:

FoM
Thanks for asking; I like the cable modem very much. It was nice to watch POT-TV in a smooth format, rather than the jittery-at-best format I used to get with the ol' 56kbps modem. We also added 256MB of SDRAM for a total of 320MB (the computer came with only 64MB), and that has made a huge difference in the overall performance of this computer.

I can understand why you are so excited about the satellite hookup. It sounds great. If it's anything like the cable modem (I suspect it's even faster), you'll be zipping around the Internet very quickly, and you'll realize how much time you used to waste just getting from one website to the next. It's a lot of fun.

Dan B

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 17, 2002 at 10:02:18 PT
Dan
I changed your email in my address book. I want to ask you how do you like a cable modem? Next week sometime I should get my 2 way satellite hooked up. I'm cleaning up my older computer because my husband will be able to use it while I'm using this one. He gets to read the news early in the morning and then he can't get the computer back from me and then he will be able to learn to type he said. Many times he wants to say something in a thread but needs time to practice. I'm just bubbly knowing what I will be able to get accomplished campared to now!

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #2 posted by Dan B on May 17, 2002 at 09:56:24 PT:

What a Strange Article
I realize that every study conducted on cannabis use and driving shows that there is no hazard involved, but I never imagined that those who hold stubbornly to the idea that it does pose a threat would come up with an argument such as that described above.

The thing about it is, based on the "knowledge" that they have on this issue, they are correct. It is strange to see someone come to a correct conclusion based on a faulty understanding, but there it is. Go figure.

Dan B

By the way, I just got a cable modem, so my email address has changed. See the email link above. The new address is dpbutterworth@cox.net

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by DdC on May 17, 2002 at 09:54:28 PT
Booze is the #1 Killer of Kids!
Although the article does make sense in addressing the hypocrisy and the harmful effects of that hypocrisy.
Peace, Love and Liberty or the Merchants of D.E.A.th!
DdC

Crancer Study, Washington Department of Motor Vehicles

"Simulated driving scores for subjects experiencing a normal social "high" and the same subjects under control conditions are not significantly different. However, there are significantly more errors for alcohol intoxicated than for control subjects"

********************

U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT HS 808 078), Final Report, November 1993:

"THC's adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small"

********************

Professor Olaf Drummer, a forensic scientist the Royal College of Surgeons in Melbourne in 1996

":Compared to alcohol, which makers people take more risks on the road, marijuana made drivers slow down and drive more carefully.... Cannabis is good for driving skills, as people tend to overcompensate for a perceived impairment.":

Dubya's Driving Record
http://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/31/31140.jpg

CONFIRMED: Dubya not allowed into Canada???
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=186.topic
Canada forbids anyone with a DUI conviction, no matter how long ago, from entering their country. That means that if Bush wins, both the President and Vice President would need to get special permits to cross the Canadian border.

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs says: Driving while under the influence of alcohol is regarded as an extremely serious offence in Canada, and persons with convictions for this offence are inadmissible to Canada. Although Canada is similar to other countries in preventing the admission of convicted offenders, Canada does make provision to allow people with criminal records into Canada under certain circumstances.
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/~detroit/eng/Immigration/Rehab.html

cannabis vs alcohol (driving)
http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/HEMP/IHA/iha01206.html

Australia: No Proof Cannabis Put Drivers At Risk (2001)
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1849/a09.html

UK: Cannabis May Make You A Safer Driver (2000)
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1161/a02.html

University Of Toronto Study Shows Marijuana Not A Factor In Driving Accidents (1999)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases\1999\03\990325110700.htm

Australia: Cannabis Crash Risk Less: Study (1998)
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n945/a08.html

Australia: Study Goes to Pot (1998)
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n947/a06.html

Hippies Against Drunk Driving
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/hadd


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