Seattle Cops On Marijuana Legalisation

[NYFelon]

On their own time?

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

On their own time?

Yep ... My main concern wouldnt be so much with the usage, but with the side effects. A cop that smoked marijuana the day before, (granted quality and quantity may play a role) will have a much more difficult time making snap decisions that could cost people their lives. I know for a fact i dont want an officer who smoked weed the previous night involved in a high speed chase, or holding someone at gunpoint.

granted drugs effect different people in different ways, we do not need officers on the streets under the influence of drugs that could impair their decisions putting innocent lives at stake. If you want to do drugs that badly, maybe being a police officer isnt/wasnt the best career choice

 

[poptab]

How many people discussing this have any first hand experience with marijuana?
Smoking 1 joint may or may not get a person 'high'. Like alcohol it is hard to say when a person is 'drunk'. These terms are hard to define because of the many variables such as gender, weight, tolerance, humidity, ect.

For alcohol we have legally define impaired as .08 bac. However, for marijuana it isnt as easy. Marijuana is a plant. It has many many different chemicals in it. Marijuana has about 60 cannabinols and over 400 other compounds. Most of the chemicals found in marijuana have some physiological or psychoactive effect but due to the fact that it is illegal scientific studies are lacking. The studies we do have read more like propaganda than actual scientific studies since most of them are funded by the government.

The ratio, quantity and quality of the different psychoactive chemicals in marijuana depend on the specific plant. Even plants that are genetically the same can vary due to growing conditions. Compounding the issue is our lack of understanding of how marijuana affects the brain.

Contrast this with alcohol. Alcohol production is practically a science compared to growing marijuana. Only one chemical in alcoholic products has any significant effect and our knowledge of alcohol's effects on the human body are much farther along.

So how do you test to see if a person is high on marijuana at this exact moment? This is a serious question? All the testing I have read about tests for metabolites. Sure it tells you if they have smoked marijuana but it doesnt tell you how high they are like blood alcohol levels indicate how drunk you are.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Yep ... My main concern wouldnt be so much with the usage, but with the side effects. A cop that smoked marijuana the day before, (granted quality and quantity may play a role) will have a much more difficult time making snap decisions that could cost people their lives. I know for a fact i dont want an officer who smoked weed the previous night involved in a high speed chase, or holding someone at gunpoint.

granted drugs effect different people in different ways, we do not need officers on the streets under the influence of drugs that could impair their decisions putting innocent lives at stake. If you want to do drugs that badly, maybe being a police officer isnt/wasnt the best career choice

If you want to go that far, LEO should not be allowed to drink, take lortabs for pain, take Ambien for sleep, or about a hundred other things.

I think a cop blazing a big fat doobie after work wouldnt be a bad thing at all.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

If you want to go that far, LEO should not be allowed to drink, take lortabs for pain, take Ambien for sleep, or about a hundred other things.

I think a cop blazing a big fat doobie after work wouldnt be a bad thing at all.

Now when you say drink do mean get drunk to the point he has a nasty hangover for work the next morning? I would hope an officer of the law would know how much alcohol he/she could consume before they have had too much for duty. Marijuana (unlike alcohol) will stay in your system for longer periods of time, and its quite possible a week after using the officer could still be experiencing the effects.

I dont know anything about the drugs you mentioned accept alcohol and marijuana so i cannot comment on them. I do know the side effects of using marijuana (ESPECIALLY if the drug is abused/too much is used) are not ones i would want, an officer in a high speed chase or holding a gun to somebody (amongst many other scenarios), to be experiencing on duty.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Now when you say drink do mean get drunk to the point he has a nasty hangover for work the next morning? I would hope an officer of the law would know how much alcohol he/she could consume before they have had too much for duty. Marijuana (unlike alcohol) will stay in your system for longer periods of time, and its quite possible a week after using the officer could still be experiencing the effects.

I dont know anything about the drugs you mentioned accept alcohol and marijuana so i cannot comment on them. I do know the side effects of using marijuana (ESPECIALLY if the drug is abused/too much is used) are not ones i would want, an officer in a high speed chase or holding a gun to somebody (amongst many other scenarios), to be experiencing on duty.

Experiencing effects possibly a week after using marijuana


If officers are like most of us, they drag their asses to work like the rest of us, hangover or not the next day.

 

[IndyDave1776]

For what it is worth, the first person I saw (at a young age) smoking marijuana was a cop.

 

[brew45]

Marijuana (unlike alcohol) will stay in your system for longer periods of time, and its quite possible a week after using the officer could still be experiencing the effects.

Seriously? The affects of marijuana last a few hours at best and then go away. A week later? Doubt it. I would much rather have a police force that is allowed to go home and relax with a joint rather than a few drinks. I would entrust my life more with someone that has smoked than someone who regularly drinks.

 

[public servant]

For what it is worth, the first person I saw (at a young age) smoking marijuana was a cop.

For what it is worth, the first person I saw smoking it was a truck driver.

My uncle.

 

[LPMan59]

chronic (lol) use of MJ causes paranoia. Just what gun owners, cops and a bunch of other people need.....

 

[TheCapulet]

I feel like this thread needs more noted sources of information. Reading through some of the posts just blows my mind, considering all the inaccuracy. I thought ingo was better than this.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

chronic (lol) use of MJ causes paranoia. Just what gun owners, cops and a bunch of other people need.....

Apparently some people dont understand the side effects, and should maybe read a book. Im glad at least one person here realizes that paranoia (amongst the other side effects) is not a good trait for an officer to have.

Experiencing effects possibly a week after using marijuana

Why is that funny, how much weed have you smoked in your life/ over what period of time? What if said police officer uses, and one day decides to quit. Have you ever heard of "withdrawls?" Theres another trait i want in the people supposed to be protecting us

Seriously? The affects of marijuana last a few hours at best and then go away. A week later? Doubt it.

I stand corrected, Brew obviously knows what he's talking about, that "doubt it," just proves it.

 

[Bunnykid68]

If one has withdrawals from smoking pot it is mental withdrawals. There is nothing chemically addicting in marijuana like there is with cigarettes.
I am sitting here trying to think about the people that I know, that smoke occasionally to those who smoke a lot. Between the pot smokers and us gun owners, I think the gun owners are a much more paranoid group.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

If one has withdrawals from smoking pot it is mental withdrawals. There is nothing chemically addicting in marijuana like there is with cigarettes.

Really? All them chemicals and no addiction, thats amazing. While they may be a different type of withdrawls, they are still there. You go spend extensive amounts of time with somebody who uses on a regular basis, and tell me they dont have crazy mood swings or other symptoms a week after they quick using.

Lets here it for officer Spicoli, what would your reaction be if this guy pulled you over?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWiYphJUS7Q

 

[poptab]

Apparently some people dont understand the side effects, and should maybe read a book. Im glad at least one person here realizes that paranoia (amongst the other side effects) is not a good trait for an officer to have.





Why is that funny, how much weed have you smoked in your life/ over what period of time? What if said police officer uses, and one day decides to quit. Have you ever heard of "withdrawls?" Theres another trait i want in the people supposed to be protecting us



I stand corrected, Brew obviously knows what he's talking about, that "doubt it," just proves it.

It seems you have been reading the government propaganda.

You can have withdrawal from caffeine too. Marijuana withdrawal isnt any worse than caffeine withdrawal. (at least from the studies I have read)

Yea if Johnny law starts acting like Tommy chong then we probably have a problem, though I would prefer that rather than this guy. <-- probably needs a few tokes.


Side note: Who else knew that marijuana is NOT psychoactive until heated? Yea that is right THCA is NOT psychoactive until heat is applied and converts to THC. You could eat a pound of marijuana salad and not get high.

 

[poptab]

Really? All them chemicals and no addiction, thats amazing. While they may be a different type of withdrawls, they are still there. You go spend extensive amounts of time with somebody who uses on a regular basis, and tell me they dont have crazy mood swings or other symptoms a week after they quick using.

Lets here it for officer Spicoli, what would your reaction be if this guy pulled you over?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWiYphJUS7Q

How do you know that those crazy mood swings are marijuana related? There is a possibility they would be worse if they were not smoking marijuana. All I am saying is that I would like more studies on marijuana.

I do not think cops should smoke marijuana on the job. (well maybe a few of them should) If they become addicted to it in their off time and it starts affecting job performance we should deal with it then. Isn't that how we treat alcohol and its addiction?

 

[El T]

I think that the majority of the paranoia that pot smokers exhibit is with regards to being watched by the cops and potentially getting busted. Remove that factor and it's Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Grateful Dead, and Phish night at the ol' homestead.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

It seems you have been reading the government propaganda.

You can have withdrawal from caffeine too. Marijuana withdrawal isnt any worse than caffeine withdrawal. (at least from the studies I have read)

Yea if Johnny law starts acting like Tommy chong then we probably have a problem, though I would prefer that rather than this guy. <-- probably needs a few tokes.

Gotcha, its ok to believe studies that support what you are saying At least we can agree there are withdrawls. How bad they are or what the effects will be probly depend on the individual. If officers start smoking weed on a daily basis Tommy Chong will be the end result, if not with every officer who does it, it's bound to happen to some. But i guess since marijuana isnt addictive said officer(s) can "quit whenever they want"

 

[poptab]

Gotcha, its ok to believe studies that support what you are saying At least we can agree there are withdrawls. How bad they are or what the effects will be probly depend on the individual. If officers start smoking weed on a daily basis Tommy Chong will be the end result, if not with every officer who does it, it's bound to happen to some. But i guess since marijuana isnt addictive said officer(s) can "quit whenever they want"

It isnt about what I believe or even think. The scientific data coming from actual scientists who publish in peer reviewed journal articles seems to indicate that Marijuana is not the evil plant the government claims it to be.

Did you know the United States government has a patent on the use of marijuana as antioxidants and neuroprotectants?

But obviously if cops start smoking marijuana the world will end as you say.

 

[poptab]

Gotcha, its ok to believe studies that support what you are saying At least we can agree there are withdrawls. How bad they are or what the effects will be probly depend on the individual. If officers start smoking weed on a daily basis Tommy Chong will be the end result, if not with every officer who does it, it's bound to happen to some. But i guess since marijuana isnt addictive said officer(s) can "quit whenever they want"

From my understanding, marijuana withdrawal symptoms are currently being debated as to whether or not they are even clinically significant.