SURVEY: Should Thailand legalize marijuana?

[Shawn0001]

On the contrary,...contrary, I looked at your study and could not find where it said the effects of cannabis on driving found almost no impairment. It did say those strictly under the influence of vaporized cannabis only demonstrated problems (impairment) weaving within the lane.

This may or may not be a problem depending on if there are other cars traveling on the same road either in the same direction or coming towards the weaving pot smoker. Weaving back and forth (uncontrollably) has been known to cause motor vehicle accidents either with other cars or as a single vehicle mishap.

While it is a good study and very interesting, it also still only a study of 18 participants inhaling vapors from the "volcano medic" and driving in a simulator. It's also not the first of a kind study. Looking at the references of the article I posted shows a similar study in 2010 and 2013 (References 6 and 7).

Ironically, the author of the article I posted is also a contributing author of the article you posted (National Institute on Drug Abuse).

Try this one, perhaps it will help calm your irrational fear.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/08/05/since-marijuana-legalization-highway-fatalities-in-colorado-are-at-near-historic-lows/

[cumgranosalum]

It is ludicrous to post your opinions if you have this little concept of the effects of these two drugs. Alcohol impairs judgement, cannabis does not, alcohol leads people to make reckless decisions, cannabis leads people into making very cautious decisions. If everyone drove under the influence of cannabis there would be a lot less traffic, it would move slower, drivers would take less risks and there would be fewer accidents. If they can't control their urges to drive while drinking, it's ludicrous to think they will control their urges to drive while high.

Thank you for making my point. However, if you need more proof.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/does-marijuana-use-affect-driving

On the contrary, this study analyzing the effects of cannabis on driving found almost no impairment. The minimal impairment observed was similar to that seen under the influence of a legal alcohol limit...

"Drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, showed increased weaving that was similar to those with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most states. The legal limit for THC in Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L, the same amount other states have considered."

I just read the media report in your link and it says nothing of the sort...you must've been stoned when you read it.

[rws85]

No it's a Drug which effects normal brain thoughts and actions and is addictive.

Can lead to more potent Drugs….. Speed, Cocaine and Heroine.

Weak people take that rubbish and then it's too late!

Yet alcohol, tobacco and a whole range of pharmaceutical drugs are socially acceptable. Guess people who drink, smoke, or take meds are weak as well and will end up being coke heads.

Or maybe they aren't and maybe just because you do one thing doesn't guarantee you'll do another. Perhaps you shouldn't believe everything your feed by government/media. Perhaps people should be allowed to be make their own decisions and be responsible for their on choices in this 'Free' world that we live in.

Edited November 5, 2015 by rws85

[rws85]

It is ludicrous to post your opinions if you have this little concept of the effects of these two drugs. Alcohol impairs judgement, cannabis does not, alcohol leads people to make reckless decisions, cannabis leads people into making very cautious decisions. If everyone drove under the influence of cannabis there would be a lot less traffic, it would move slower, drivers would take less risks and there would be fewer accidents. If they can't control their urges to drive while drinking, it's ludicrous to think they will control their urges to drive while high.

Thank you for making my point. However, if you need more proof.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/does-marijuana-use-affect-driving

On the contrary, this study analyzing the effects of cannabis on driving found almost no impairment. The minimal impairment observed was similar to that seen under the influence of a legal alcohol limit...

"Drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, showed increased weaving that was similar to those with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most states. The legal limit for THC in Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L, the same amount other states have considered."

I just read the media report in your link and it says nothing of the sort...you must've been stoned when you read it.

I was stoned when I passed my driving test.

[Shawn0001]

It is ludicrous to post your opinions if you have this little concept of the effects of these two drugs. Alcohol impairs judgement, cannabis does not, alcohol leads people to make reckless decisions, cannabis leads people into making very cautious decisions. If everyone drove under the influence of cannabis there would be a lot less traffic, it would move slower, drivers would take less risks and there would be fewer accidents. If they can't control their urges to drive while drinking, it's ludicrous to think they will control their urges to drive while high.

Thank you for making my point. However, if you need more proof.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/does-marijuana-use-affect-driving

On the contrary, this study analyzing the effects of cannabis on driving found almost no impairment. The minimal impairment observed was similar to that seen under the influence of a legal alcohol limit...

"Drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, showed increased weaving that was similar to those with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most states. The legal limit for THC in Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L, the same amount other states have considered."

I just read the media report in your link and it says nothing of the sort...you must've been stoned when you read it.

There was only one observed impairment, and that was at the level with that of the legal limit of alcohol. Although they do not say, "almost no impairment", or refer to the observed impairment as being, "minimal", we can presume this to be true considering the exact same level of impairment is considered minimal and is accepted as being safe to drive when it is alcohol induced.

[Shawn0001]

It's easy to see how Thai people abuse alcohol and the problems that it causes in Thai society. Adding another "recreational" drug will just compound the problems Thai society will have to deal with. For example, drinking and driving is a huge problem in Thailand which helps to make the roads the most dangerous in the world. How much worse will it be if people, who are only high from marijuana, are mixed in with the people who are drunk or drunk and high? If they can't control their urges to drive while drinking, it's ludicrous to think they will control their urges to drive while high.

Check out this chart from the CDC in the United States.

http://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_injury_deaths_highlighting_unintentional_injury_2013-a.gif

From ages 5 to 24, the number one cause of death is motor vehicle accidents. 5 year old children don't drive so that means an adult was involved in either in the car with the child or a possible impaired driver in another car. For ages 25 to 64, unintentional poisoning was the leading cause of death. How many of those adults made their fatal decision to self medicate or drive themselves when their decision making abilities were impaired? Look at the other possible ways to die and ask yourself if having an individual's decision making abilities impaired may have contributed to the number of deaths in the other categories?

With that said...marijuana would likely be a huge boost in tourism as it would be the only place in Southeast Asia ASEAN citizens can go to use this drug. Many western tourist may also be attracted to Thailand as a destination mostly because of this drug. Combined with the other vices Thailand is infamous for, I see it as a boost to tourism.

Now back to my opening statement. The problems this drug will bring balanced against the benefits it will bring will probably offset overall. Although, I find it easier to believe Thailand will be worse off than better off if marijuana was legalized here.

Adding another "recreational" drug will just compound the problems Thai society will have to deal with.

In Colorado it has not encouraged new users like some were speculating, teenage use has gone down, it might not be so long before all use is down, that is what happened in Holland.

From ages 5 to 24, the number one cause of death is motor vehicle accidents.

In Colorado the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents has decreased since legalization.

[cumgranosalum]

Some people seem to be basing their arguments on some pretty wild assumptions...

firstly that if marijuana is legalised it will lead to a big increase in consumption and secondly those people will then take to the roads.

(the graph above is of course statistically insignificant and it assumes that a continuation downward is a constant trend - which is of course nonsense.)

[cumgranosalum]

No it's a Drug which effects normal brain thoughts and actions and is addictive.

Can lead to more potent Drugs….. Speed, Cocaine and Heroine.

Weak people take that rubbish and then it's too late!

THis post epitomises the ignorance surrounding "illegal" recreational drugs as against legal ones, it propounds theories that were laughed out of the room decades ago.

[cumgranosalum]

I just read the media report in your link and it says nothing of the sort...you must've been stoned when you read it.

I was stoned when I passed my driving test.

QED

[richard10365]

Pot Fuels Surge in Drugged Driving Deaths

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pot-fuels-surge-drugged-driving-deaths-n22991

[MW72]

we don't need pot heads running loose.

Pot heads don't do much running.

[Shawn0001]

Some people seem to be basing their arguments on some pretty wild assumptions...

firstly that if marijuana is legalised it will lead to a big increase in consumption and secondly those people will then take to the roads.

(the graph above is of course statistically insignificant and it assumes that a continuation downward is a constant trend - which is of course nonsense.)

There is a statistically insignificant increase since legalizing recreational cannabis, but what is clear is that there has been no significant increase, which is what people were fearing.

[Shawn0001]

Pot Fuels Surge in Drugged Driving Deaths

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pot-fuels-surge-drugged-driving-deaths-n22991

Read the article I posted above. Although there has been an increase in cannabis detected in those involved in fatal accidents, there has also been a decrease in fatal accidents. There is zero evidence to suggest that pot has increased accidents, just that more people have pot in their system, so it is logical to assume that more people involved in accidents will test positive.

[richard10365]

Something tells me that regardless of the law and the statistical data of the negative impact of marijuana, some people will still choose to break the law and put countless others at needless risk to satisfy their selfish desires that places their needs above the needs and well being of others in order to get high. Then they will rationalize their decision of their twisted logic in order to make themselves feel better about the choice they made. For the sake of everyone else, I hope they are right and I am wrong.

[Dumbastheycome]

There is an important distinction regarding legalization versus decriminilization. Legalizing opens the door to commercial monopoly. Decriminalization removes it from crime status. Probably neither would alter the actual use much in the longer term.

It is interesting to note that increasingly there is relenting legal changes in status about what in many places was falsley classified as a narcotic substance. Legalization maybe considered the best option for Governments purely because that makes it a tax revenuable product.

[ParadiseLost]

If you forget the moral aspect for a while and consider how much tax revenue is today going into the worst possible hands, then it makes no sense to not vote yes as the benefits far outweigh the fabled risks.

There is an interesting article on the BBC: Colorado votes on marijuana tax spending

[cumgranosalum]

More than 100 diseases was treated using Cannabis before governments made it illegal

with no scientific evidence to back it up whatsoever. citing inconlusive medical benefits for marijuana is a totally spurious argument for the legalisation of the substance.

Which might be because of its legal status and therefore, the difficulty of conducting research, and the fact that big pharma is unlikely to invest loads of money in research on a plant that can be grown by anyone anywhere. Not much of a profit motive. Similarly, you might want to look into the totally spurious arguments for making it illegal in the first place...based on racism and fantasy as I recall.

I'm assuming you haven't heard of CBD's?

i think you might need to read up on some of the research into marijuana - there has been tons of research over the =years to the point that it has been questioned why alcohol hasn't been subject to the same scrutininies - please don't make assumptions - read up first.

[lvr181]

Decriminalise and control!

[lvr181]

Decriminalise and control!

And for what it's worth I DO NOT smoke marijuana. But I do support sensible solutions to problems. "Banning" never seems to eliminate problems, just drives them underground.

Out of sight out of mind for some, I guess. I can not see it, therefore it can not be (is this the action of an ostrich or lawmakers or control freaks?).

[Puwa]

we don't need pot heads running loose.

Pot heads don't do much running.

You'd be surprised.

[MW72]

we don't need pot heads running loose.

Pot heads don't do much running.

You'd be surprised.

Maybe recreational users. I'd reserve the term pot head for hard core daily abusers smoking all day every day. The pot equivilant of an alcoholic. I've never met one who enjoyed running much. Doesn't mean they don't exist. Maybe I just know lazy pot heads.

[KonaRain]

I knew a guy that used to surf pretty big waves while stoned.. he liked working out while high..running high is like smoking cigs while climbing rocks..

Alohz

[KonaRain]

Re: self driving cars..

A bunch of pedestrians run into the street between cars.

Your car decides to drive into an embankment to save them while sacrificing You.. Doc!

Stoner!

(kidding)

Alohz

[LannaGuy]

Live and let live and legalising in USA is a wonderful step forward but conservative Thailand will lag behind, as usual, by 50 years

[Andaman Al]

Voting on a poll on this subject is not something that should be taken lightly. Drugs are illegal in Thailand, end of story, and whilst discussion is permitted if it is news, a poll on whether you think an illegal activity should be legal is quite dangerous. Nobody on any forum is anonymous and nothing is easier for appropriate Government agencies to retrieve all of your full information. All people voting 'yes' as foreigners are essentially declaring themselves publicly as 'undesirables'. Just sayin.

[fang37]

For medical purposes (pain relief) only - yes.

Control supply, quality & price!

[lvr181]

Live and let live and legalising in USA is a wonderful step forward but conservative Thailand will lag behind, as usual, by 50 years

That close behind?

[deckape]

I have read that in Cambodia it is cheaper to buy weed than the papers to roll it in. I have been to the medical marijuana clinics in California and they are a stoners dream. Flowers, wax, edibles...it is all there.

If more US states legalize, followed by federal legalization, a snowball effect could happen. At some point if there are enough cannibis friendly destinations tourists might prefer them when planning a vacation. In other words, once it is in Thailands best interest financially, and it is already legal in a lot of other countries, it will be legal here.

[ParadiseLost]

Voting on a poll on this subject is not something that should be taken lightly. Drugs are illegal in Thailand, end of story, and whilst discussion is permitted if it is news, a poll on whether you think an illegal activity should be legal is quite dangerous. Nobody on any forum is anonymous and nothing is easier for appropriate Government agencies to retrieve all of your full information. All people voting 'yes' as foreigners are essentially declaring themselves publicly as 'undesirables'. Just sayin.

Can I call you Al? Well, Al maybe you have not been here long enough to know that all farangs are undesirable, we are merely tolerated until the money runs out.

You are entitled to your opinion, but when you start to believe you should not state yours - then you should worry you are in the wrong place - or your opinion stinks

[faraday]

What does concern me about legalising or the decriminalisation of Cannabis, is that at some point a stronger version will be produced.

When ingesting a compound - whether it is a pom, or a so callled 'recreational' drug, it's about potency, dose & route of administration.

It is not possible to OD on Cannabis if the person smokes it. But perhaps there could be an immensely concentrated product, that really could do harm.

In Farangistan, there's a synthetic cannabis available called 'Spice' which often triggers a Psychotic Episode, or an overdose event.

Cannabis Oil is very potent I believe; perhaps later, an injectable form will be available, a transdermal preparation, or a Tablet & thus causing MH issues....?