Marijuana legal in Colorado

[bonnie]

I would not allow my child to get into the car with someone that had used marijuana and then got behind the wheel

Betty Ford clinic.....

How Does Marijuana Impair Functioning?

July 5th, 2011 – Posted by James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S. in Doctors Office

Question: Can you comment on the duration that one’s functioning is impaired after smoking marijuana? I hear all kinds of information about this.

Answer: It has been known for a long time that smoking marijuana impairs functioning in activities that require skills, whether it be operating machinery, driving an automobile, or flying an airplane. Even relatively small amounts of marijuana impair perpetual motor skills. The response time as a reaction to certain external events is slowed by the use of the drug. A number of experienced airline pilots were tested in their skills. The results of this testing following the use of marijuana is reported in a study (Yesavage, J.A. et all, Carry-over effects of marijuana on aircraft pilots performance, Am. J. Psychiatry, 142-1325, 1985), making it clear that the length of time that marijuana impairs skills is longer than had been thought before. These pilots were found to exhibit impairment in their functioning in the operation of an airplane for at least 24 hours after smoking one marijuana cigarette.

It is clear that marijuana is not a “benign” drug. This is particularly true since the concentrations of tetra-hydro-canabinal in the smoked drug are considerably higher than they were in the past. The concentration of THC is from 15 to 20 times greater than it was in the 1960’s and 70’s. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug, and all persons with addictive disease are selectively addicted to any psychoactive drug they use repeatedly. Marijuana is cross-addicting with any other addicting substance in the addicted person. The duration of effect probably varies with individuals, but the study of the aircraft pilots indicates that even small amounts influence finer skills for a longer time than was thought to occur.

- See more at: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/treatment...h.dREnM6iT.dpuf

[Bravus]

Do we have a source for this story? I googled for it all the ways I knew how and could find nothing.

[Gregory Matthews]

Bravus said:

Quote:

Also, the story in the OP speaks of 'Wednesday, January 1' and 'Tuesday, January 2', for a start.

Are we sure this story isn't from a satire site like The Onion or the Daily Currant?

I posted the story. Thank you for pointing out my error on the Wednesday Tuesday bit.

I am struggling with some visual issues. I simply did not notice that I had written Tuesday rather than Thursday. I should have said Thursday, January 2.

Bravus also asked for my source. We subscribe to thee newspapers: THE DENVER POST, THE DAILY CAMERA & THE TIMES CALL.

The story was published on January 3 in two of them.

[Gregory Matthews]

Bravus said:

Quote:

Story seems extremely dodgy... who drops their expensive pot brownie and doesn't pick it up? Seems more likely the child was either (a) given some by parents or friends and a story concocted or ( ill with something else but had acquired THC from secondhand smoke.

Who would leave there expensive pot: The same person who during a recent time of construction on our house left their expensive supply of pot in our home when they left for the day.

NOTE: It was not returned to them. Action was taken.

NOTE: Family is cooperating with the police and Social Work investigation. Family members have offered to undergo a urinalysis test for THC.

[Gregory Matthews]

It has been said that this story can not be found on the Internet.

I Googled it and immediately found seven (7) internet stories about it.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/longmont-toddler-tests-posiive-for-thc

The above link gives you a TV video on an interview with the MD that treated the child and with the Chief of police.

To get to the above story:

1) Click on the above link.

2) An error message may come up on your screen.

3) Page down to this link:

Longmont toddler tests positive for THC

4) Click on it and the TV news video will play.

NOTE: In the TV feed it was reported that the child was taken to the hospital the day before (Tuesday) pot became legal in Colorado. My error may have been in saying that it occurred the day after pot became legal.

NOTE: Do not mix this story up with another story on the Internet of the arrest of a Denver woman over charges which may be related to her 2.5 year-old child who somehow ingested MJ.

[Bravus]

Yeah, thanks Gregory, I later searched using different search terms and found it. Should have dropped back in here to say so but got busy. I found the original story on Fox and echoes on all the usual right-wing mouthpieces, and would like to see something from the actual police or courts, and I still stand by the alternative scenarios I described. Guess we'll see. It may be true, but on its face it fails the 'smell test'.

[Gregory Matthews]

I will suggest that the alleged facts may as you put it, fail the smell test. The police investigation will continue to check them out.

But, the story, itself, is real. The story did not come form the ONION. Two independent TV Stations in the Denver Metro area have reported the story. Independent newspapers have reported it. The story stands and does not fail the smell test or come from the Onion.

Your beginning comment was to challenge the story on the basis, as I understood you, of your belief that the facts smelled. My response was that the story was real.

What do I mean by story? The story is: A mother took a two year-old female to the ED of a hospital. The child was tested and found to have THC in her urine.

What do I mean by alleged facts: 1) The child ate a cookie that she is alleged to have found outside her home. 2)That cookie may be the source of her THC. 3) The mother does not use MJ.

[Bravus]

Fair enough: I hope I made it clear that it was never my intention to call *your* honesty into question at all! You've done a masterful job here of separating out the issues, and indeed that's exactly what (not very clearly) I was trying to get at. Thank you.

[LynnDel]

I wonder how those who are in jail for third strike offenses of a small amount of marijuana feel now. Or are they going to get retroactive grace?

LD