Mandatory Marijuana

To be clear, there is no violence associated with marijuana use.  Not even traffic accidents.  Indeed, one of the many battles that will develop due to legalization is the issue of impairment while driving.

You can't make this stuff up, but our own NTSB did a study in Amsterdam on the comparable effects of marijuana on driving performance.. Their findings held across all groups no matter how much marijuana had been consumed.  Here is the key sentence, buried deep in please-don't-cut-our-funding jargon about "lateral tracking" impairment and other scary phrases: "THC's effects on [driving impairment] were equal to or less than that of BAC = 0.07 %. "

That is, massively stoned automobile drivers perform as well as legally sober drivers under the law in all 50 states, where the BAC cutoff is .08%  Full report here.

The science indicates people over-compensate for marijuana's effects behind the wheel.  Just like Cheech and Chong taught us-- *

Marijuana is a better drug.  It may in fact not be a drug at all, but a key regulator in our health.

It would be unconstitutional, but check Bill Hicks' argument for mandatory marijuana. Skip to 3:20 for the relevant bit--

Back later this week.  Peace--
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* For the record, the stoner stereotypes portrayed by the comedy pair may have done more damage to the movement than anything else. But their satire was mistaken for fact by the squares controlling policy.  Chong did time in Federal prison for selling glass pipes on the internet, and has long appeared at pro-pot events.  Cheech Marin isn't as upfront about it anymore, but he still supports the weed.