Im curious to know the impact legalization has had on automobile accidents. I wonder if the roads have become safer? Politicians are always using supposed "intoxicated" driving as an instance to keep prohibition going... Shouldn't there be documented correlation since more people are obviously driving with marijuana in their system.
There was a study done (I believe by the University of Oregon?) that showed states with legal medical MJ had a 10% drop in traffic fatalities.... I'll see if I can find the link.... Here you go: http://pages.uoregon.edu/bchansen/MML_Alcohol_Consumption.pdf And this from Time Magazine: Why Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths | TIME.com
It is simply propaganda. The reason that law enforcement cannot find a direct correlation between dui high and accidents is because there is no quantitative method to determine someones blood thc content to see if they were too high to drive or not. It can only be determined if they have partaken within the last 30 days. The reason they keep spouting off about dui high is that no one can refute the claim that a driver was actually high on pot before the mva so the prohibitionists can say what they want without any factual evidence supporting it but most importantly there is no quantitative evidence disputing it so it is absorbed by the sheep like masses as fact.
damnedbypain....good advice but remember I live in a redneck red state where they like their own way of doing things. I have paid off all my fines, fees, I am 1 year ahead of my probation fees. This place goes through probation officers like a whore goes through condoms. My previous officer was about to put me on "annual" He quit, and I was assigned a new officer. This woman is a newbie and seems she doesn't have a clue. I told her about the decision my previous PO had made and she ignored it. Then my company sold out to a megacorp and the new place let me go because of the felony. The new PO seems to think that now because I am jobless I am a risk and wont put me on annual. Of course a good lawyer is expensive and being unemployed i dont really have any extra cash to take a chance and pay one. I had an appointment with my PO today, showed up and was told..."oops...she isnt available today" They treat you like shit, make you feel like a frickin criminal and then expect you to "reform" I hate this place. I paid into this system for over 35 years, worked hard, paid taxes, own property, never had a parking ticket and now I am damaged goods in this town because I did something that is now legal in 2 states. I constantly warn ppl on here...think twice before doing what I did. There is NO compassion for what good you did in life or the good you have done for your community. We are Felons, and all Felons are created equal. (unless you are bank or a congressman) then laws do not apply to you.
Does ur state have a drug court program? Its hell on wheels to complete no doubt but if u complete it ur conviction will be expunged and u will get to be human again. I feel u on P.O.s being crap. My people loved me because i treated them like human beings rather than less than nothing. It made me plenty of friends with my people but my coworkers hated my guts. My boss said "YOU DONT ALWAYS HAVE TO TRY AND BE THEIR BUDDY!!!!." Which is true but damnit if they are good to me and straightened their life up then they should be rewarded instead of fuckin'em every chance we got. I was even told that helping them get a job and get their kids back after prison wasnt my job and maybe it wasnt but why couldnt i help ppl.
it is a crazy world, and Arkansas is a crazy state. I will look into a lawyer after I make another appointment with my PO. Recently, I contacted the govenors office and had a good, informative conversation with a very nice lady there. She gave me some good advice so I will take this to my PO and see where she stands with it. I agree with you...there is no good reason to keep me on probation. I am paid up on all my fines, fees, I am getting unemployment which takes $$$ from the state rather than getting it if I was working. Obviouslly if I screwed up and got arrested again they could still dig up my felony even if it was expunged so it makes no sense to keep kicking me while I am down. I'll keep you posted on what the PO says after she reschedules.
Arkansas is where they invented the tooth brush. Everywhere else it is a teeth brush. Thats messed up brother. U should have the same set day each month to report so u can make arrangements to be there. High turnover with POs in stupid states like urs and mine is par for the course cuz of stupid crap lime ur talkin bout. I hate it for u. U could do an interstate transfer to another state that is more probation friendly.
I was discouraged from doing that. I asked about it and was told first I had to have an employment offer. 2nd, it would take aprox. a month and a half. Now tell me what employer would be willing to wait a month and a half to hire someone they need an employee now for? Yes it rots. Still waiting for the PO to call back and reschedule. To everyone else, sorry if it appears I hijacked this thread. It helps to vent. Hopefully this discussion can be turned around to show people WHY it is important to harass your congress/representatives. This shit is real, it CAN happen to you, and once it does your world is spun upside down and sideways. I am opening up in hopes of others' seeing just how jacked up this system is. The ONLY way to beat this is to continually harass your representatives about it, energize your social circle to get out and VOTE against this repression.
U need to come up with a reason to transfer like in ur case if u have fam in another state that u want to go to that can support u better(if they cant just lie and say they can) and ask for a discretional tranfer. The PO just doesnt want the paperwork to do but it takes a couple of weeks to get it done. Plus when u trans out of state u have to pretty much be CONVICTED AND SENTENCED on a new felony because ur sending state wont care what u do cuz ur out of their hair. I once had to take a guy who was drunk in tn and killed three ppl. He didnt have a job. Just trying for disability. Say ur trying for disability and transfer. They cannot deny u on that no matter what ur jacked up know nothin PO says.
Thanks for the advice damnedbypain. Unfortunatly, things are more complicated than a simple move. I own a home here, my mother and stepdad just moved back here and put a trailer on my property. Stepdad had a stroke and is in rehab. Believe me, if it simple I would be outta here.
Good luck brother. Plz know that not all cops or PO's are bad. But most of them are. The good ones get rooted out from not being able to keep up with the bullshit. U can beat the drug screens but one fuckup can get u in prison. Not becquse u need to go but because u tried to beat a cop at his own game and it pissed him off. The best queation i ever heard came frombthe doc commissioner and he said "are u sending them to prison because they need it, or because ur mad at'em." Keep ir head up.
To get back on topic, there's talk of a legislative attempt to repeal Amendment 64 in CO. Ironically, it would take a 2/3 vote of the legislature to put a motion on the ballot to repeal A64, not too far off from the percentage of people that voted in favor of A64 in many cities. Have to say, I saw this coming. Colorado lawmakers discussing marijuana-legalization repeal effort - The Denver Post
Ppl have got to understand that legal pot is a turd in the eyes of most of the legislators so it must be polished to get it to pass. When its finally passed there are two shootings at the 420 celebration which just reenforced the upity folks idea that legal mj will breed more violence. Our defense for mj was that legal pot would erase violence as the decriminalization of pot would cease any pot wars. First thing ppl need to do is look more responsible than a huge crowd of long haired sloppy trash lookin chronic tokers and wont workers livin it up through a gigantic plume of pot smoke. Let it get legal. Smoke it at home. Be glad of the gift u have comin but if u flaunt it and keep the negative stereotypical pot headed behavior going and it explodes rather than declines of course johnny joe congressman is gonna say "oh shit what the fuck did i do?" Smoke it. Eat it. Enjoy it but for crying out loud dont bring undue attention to ourselves by acting retarded. Pot was legalized for legitimate use. Not to cause another shooting. If the shootings had taken place at mardi gras? No one would give a shit but pot being legal is new so we ill be ever more scrutinized. Lets all take it easy. Those guys at the 420 party need their asses handed to them. I hope they get ass raped in prison because them doin that stupid shit was the best thing that could have ever happened to the prohibitionists.
They will not repeal. Thank god for a 2 year election cycle. Nov. 2014 is right around the corner and only an idiot would blatantly go against the will of the public so close to an election. As far as the 420 event... the shooting reminds me of the bush/gore recount in Fla. The right wing flew in thousands of "protestors" to parade in front of the media showing their "anger"...the scheme worked. The media took the bait and swayed perception to the country that angry voters were gathering by the thousands in favor of bush. In Colorado ...all it took was 1 idiot with a gun at this event to fire off a few shots and taint the entire event in the eye of the media.
Surprisingly, I have not seen any news stories blaming weed for the shooting. Granted, I do not watch the talking heads, but the papers have not had much. People in Denver know there are gang issues, and the cops have made it plain that this case was handed over to the gang department.
That is in Denver. But what about the rest of colorado that only catch bits and pieces of the story as they pass a radio? They hear pot and shooting. Lets hope it doesnt get any more momentum.
Here in Illinois the shooting (and the rally) was really down played.... They showed a scene of people running and mentioned shots were fired at a Denver rally....... they also reported that the rally had about 10,000 attendees, but did NOT say what the rally was for.....
Before all of this, cannabis was pretty easy to find around Washington State. Now? Even easier. Even though it remains illegal to buy/sell unless you're a patient, local police don't really care unless you're disturbing everyone trying to sell and consuming in public. Even consuming in public isn't a big deal depending on the officer that catches you and if you're not making a scene and being considerate/responsible, odds are slim that they fill out a bunch of paperwork just to get a cannabis consumer off the street. I wouldn't advise to go burn anywhere you can, but knowing that I can walk down the street and smoke a joint within my community is nice. Prices are pretty damn low as well. Normal street prices around here for normal buds range from $140-160 an ounce and higher quality upwards of $220 Max. an ounce. Don't see much that high though anymore. Pounds anywhere from $1,600-$3,000, but most of the higher priced pounds are around the more populated areas like Seattle, Tacoma, etc.
I voted for I-502 why to progress the legalization of marijuana. There maybe flaws in the law but its a start. So please if you come to WA use some common sense we don't need bongs in the park,on the bus or at the beach. Seen some guys doing dabs at the Disc Golf Course made smoking pot look like some hardcore drug. Lets not shoot this in the foot before we even get running. p.s well maybe hempfest you can bring the bong, but I would just pick one up there.
Well said. Anyone in Colorado and Washington need to remember to act responsibly. It's not hard to do either. Marijuana isn't something that makes you do dumb actions without remembering them or anything. We all need to show the country that we can have it legalized for adults and violence won't increase, DUI's won't be happening more often and the world isn't going to come to an end because of a plant. If we can show the rest of this country that we can handle it being available to adults, I can only hope that the rest of the country takes notice and that marijuana consumers everywhere will be able to enjoy the same freedom that we have. I will continue to do my part to educate and keep those who see me from frowning upon cannabis as much as possible so that my grass city family might be able to someday soon experience in their state what I am in mine.