Dope and Driving

[Pig Mindset]

Sticking to the speed limit is the hard thing. I am always about 20k/hr under.

 

Likewise, except I'll go up a steep climb in 4th and almost come to a stop before I remember to change down.

[DarkSpark]

I drive far more calmly when i have had a smoke ( i may have posted already here i forget)

 

but otherwise i get very agressive, not on the horn just the accelerator. i wouldn't say i speed but rather floor it into gaps and stuff... and with asupercharged v6 why not

[666elsie]

Yeah, I can drive fine after any amount, good fun too.

 

I do not drink and drive when I can smoke and fly.....

[littlbit]

Having seen the new ad on TV by the TAC I decided to write to them about it, so here is that email

Who was to blame for this accident?

 

The driver who pulled over as he and his partner felt he was not capable to do so?

 

Or was it the driver who was playing with his mobile phone, or laptop, or GPS, drunk, on prescription drugs?

 

The driver who hit the cannabis user, did not slow down, try to brake, try to swerve and yet had time to do all of the above, he in fact does not brake until after hitting the user.

 

Fact no experienced user would be so stoned on one joint, he could not drive.

 

What was the level of intoxication, .01, .02, .03, .04? If you cannot measure it then at least do a sobriety test and stop assuming anything at all.

 

This campaign is false and misleading, it is nothing more than propaganda for war against the Geneva Convention and places the TAC in the realm of war criminals. Exactly the same as those tried in South Africa for crimes against humanity, and breaches to Human Rights, and those who killed Jews, Gypsies etc during the WW2.

 

Cannabis is medicine, and keeping medicine from the people is against the very treaty Governments have pushed on people against their will, and yet have themselves breach it every day since signing it. The treaty made it expressly clear that Governments MUST make available cannabis for medical, they have failed to do so and because people use cannabis for medical you have arrested, tried and convicted them for daring to use the only thing that they can use for their ailments. That is cruel and unusual punishment for a sick citizen, and it breaches human rights.

 

This ad must be pulled, or you point out that the user who did the right thing, was killed by an incompetent, or drunk, or prescription drug user, or was in fact negligent and criminal as he was not paying attention to the road whilst driving a lethal weapon.

 

Enough is enough, I for one am sick to death of government groups ignoring law for their own religious beliefs that they would force on the rest of us regardless of what the science says. There is now enough peer reviewed, science out on this subject now, including from our own universities that have proved beyond doubt that driving under the influence of cannabis, makes drivers safer on the roads, as the tend to be more careful, and reduce their speed, pay closer attention to everything that is happening around them, not to mention makes them less aggressive, all the things you ask of drivers, and yet you condemn these people for doing just that, because they may have had a joint within the past couple of minutes, hours or days, you cannot even determine that.

 

I would ask that you do respond to this email, as you do answer to the citizens of this country regardless of what you think. Please do not use the excuse that you are doing the bidding of Government, that has not worked in the past and it will not in the future and believe me this fight is well and truly on and you do not want to find yourself in the middle.

 

I also put a comment into the paper,

 

Your comment has been published:

Who was in the wrong, the driver who pulled over because he was tired, regardless of what was in his system, or the driver who was not paying attention to the road? That driver had plenty of time to brake or swerve to avoid hitting someone who had pulled over to the verge. So was he playing with his phone, his laptop, his GPS, putting in a new CD or picking his nose, because it is for sure he was not watching the road?

 

There is a vast amount of proof that cannabis makes you a safer driver, slows you down, keeps you calm, no experienced user would get so stoned on one joint he would be falling asleep at the wheel, the ad is the usual reefer madness lies of old, and the truth is now available for everyone to see on the internet, science not belief, fact not religion, it's time to end the war.

 

To view your comment online go to: http://www.news.com.au/comments/0,,25781340-421,00.html

 

Please note the Editor may have slightly edited your comment to be suitable for publishing.

 

I just received a call from the TAC, they were trying to argue that the impairment of the Cannabis user was more dangerous than that of the idiot who hit him.

 

Once I got through to her that she has no science to back her claims and therefore they are discriminatory, also telling her she is punishing medical users when prescription drugs that are far more impairing than cannabis do not face the same scrutiny she backed off. Mind you I did not leave her much room, she has now asked for the science as she has admitted they don't have any.

 

So I suggest we all hit the TAC with the truth, and therefore any science we can put our hands on, to show the discrimination and lies. Make them find a way to either measure impairment, or treat cannabis users the same way they treat any prescription user.

 

info@tac.vic.gov.au

 

Their email address, lets bury them in facts.

[Wrangler556]

I find it funny that only a couple of days ago in another thread I was talking about them not being able to test definitively for the effects of cannabis on activities such as driving/level of impairment, yet here a new ad campaign is, compairing the effect of 0.05 alcohol as the same as smoking 1 joint.

 

It is based of the road toll statistics in Victoria, and 20% having tested positive for Cannabis/other drugs. Is it actually evidence that the drug was the cause, well, how can you tell, they were dead when you tested them. All it shows yet again, is that it was in their system.

 

There are plenty of absolute shit drivers out there, that take no drugs at all.

 

I guess they are just trying to lower the statistics, the best way they know how, by scaring people... was a pretty brutal ad.

 

My feelings are, keep it the same with everything, educate people that no matter what you take, be it alcohol, cannabis, or prescription drugs, if you feel impaired or not quite right, don't get in a car.

 

Wrangler.

[littlbit]

Wrangler you are so correct, so are you going to tell them that?

[brick]

Good on ya littlbit. Would you mind if I copied you email and send it from my address? They just don't understand or don't want to find out the effects of smoking cannabis and driving. I know if I am driving after a smoke and pull over for whatever reason I pull off the road and park as far away from the bitumen as I can, the paranoia off being hit by another vehicle is just too much and I have to make absolutely sure I am safe.

Back when I used to hit the grog a fair bit and was overly aggressive I would not give a shit where I stopped the car.

[littlbit]

brick50, please do you should know I don't give a hoot who uses what I write, if it helps that is all that matters.

 

Lets give them so much information that they have no option but to remove the dam thing.

 

[Fibrofeend]

Yeah i saw it last night and thought it was pretty brutal.

Its the usual really, portray the cannabis user as a giggly

air headed school kid.

For me its simple if i feel to impaired to drive i don't.

And i would have to be pretty ripped to drive that carelessly.

For me a little cannabis heals my pain and allows me to concentrate better.

If i was to drive after ONE drink i would be more inclined to have an accident

even though i may be under .05.

Gives me the shits, at present i am going through the BS of getting a doctor

to fill out a VIC roads MED report....

 

Edit: I emailed them too, i borrowed a few choice lines from yours littlbit

mostly made it my look my own though.

Edited July 15, 2009 by Fibrofeend

[420 HELI]

My ex used to declare proudly that i drive alot better when stoned...

 

When i drive straight... i'm getting a migraine even thinking about it...