Recreational marijuana in AZ seems to be going well (buy, legally)

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by john3232

Of course it does. The ability to get high is now legal and weed much simpler to obtain. The casual or regular user can now pick up a few pre-rolled joints, an ounce, brownies, gumdrops or whatever they want, whenever they want. The regular or heavy user in turn can grow pot on their property. (It's not law enforcement the grower need worry about but thieves.)

The legalization of pot was inevitable. However, let's not pretend there won't be problems esp. diving under the influence.

You’re failing to acknowledge that the vast majority of cannabis users were using before it was legalized for recreational use. Weed has always been easy to obtain and it’s been medically legal in AZ for over ten years. Prohibition has been a proven failure and weed’s legal status is largely irrelevant to whatever concern you seem to have.

[john3232]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

You’re failing to acknowledge that the vast majority of cannabis users were using before it was legalized for recreational use. Weed has always been easy to obtain and it’s been medically legal in AZ for over ten years. Prohibition has been a proven failure and weed’s legal status is largely irrelevant to whatever concern you seem to have.

Not at all. What I'm saying is pot is now much easier to obtain for recreational use. You don't have to go through a song and dance calling a dealer or asking a friend to call someone they know.
You can just go to a pot shop and buy it. Better yet grow it in your backyard.

And because it's now much easier to obtain or grow people who like to get high can do so to their heart (or wallet) content. Which means people driving under the influence of pot or going to work/school high will likely increase.

Prohibition has been a proven failure and weed’s legal status is largely irrelevant to whatever concern you seem to have

I've never suggested pot should remain illegal. My point is there will be problems do to ease in which pot can now be obtained or grown in AZ.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by john3232

Not at all. What I'm saying is pot is now much easier to obtain for recreational use. You don't have to go through a song and dance calling a dealer or asking a friend to call someone they know.
You can just go to a pot shop and buy it. Better yet grow it in your backyard.

And because it's now much easier to obtain/legal to grow pot people who like to get high can do so to their heart (or wallets) content. Which means people driving more often under the influence of pot or going to work/school high.

Prohibition has been a proven failure and weed’s legal status is largely irrelevant to whatever concern you seem to have

I've never suggested pot should remain illegal. My point is there will be problems do to ease in which pot can now be obtained or grown in AZ.

If you acknowledge prohibition as a failure, you must also acknowledge that people were using and driving on pot before the law changed. No one cared that they were breaking the law by smoking weed when it was illegal. It wasn’t at all taboo and was easy to get. Anyone with “chronic pain” could get a medical card for $100. The criminalization of marijuana was not at all effective.

[john3232]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

If you acknowledge prohibition as a failure, you must also acknowledge that people were using and driving on pot before the law changed. No one cared that they were breaking the law by smoking weed when it was illegal. It wasn’t at all taboo and was easy to get. Anyone with “chronic pain” could get a medical card for $100. The criminalization of marijuana was not at all effective.

Exactly. However, because of the ease in which pot can now be obtain in AZ we'll likely see people driving high more often. Not unlike Colorado.
For the first time, there’s hard evidence that more and more people are driving high in Colorado.
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/01/...rests-alcohol/

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by john3232

Exactly. However, because of the ease in which pot can now be obtain in AZ we'll likely see people driving high more often. Not unlike Colorado.
For the first time, there’s hard evidence that more and more people are driving high in Colorado.
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/01/...rests-alcohol/

I don’t buy your notion that legalization has any significant impact on usage. Prohibition was a failure and therefore those that wanted to use, have been. I can’t imagine anyone waiting to become a pot head until it was legalized. No one cared about the law.

I also don’t think your article proves anything. It says that marijuana had been previously lumped in with all DUIs and now it’s not. Of course when you go from not tracking something to doing so, going from zero is bound to represent a significant increase.

[john3232]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

I don’t buy your notion that legalization has any significant impact on usage. Prohibition was a failure and therefore those that wanted to use, have been. I can’t imagine anyone waiting to become a pot head until it was legalized. No one cared about the law.

I also don’t think your article proves anything. It says that marijuana had been previously lumped in with all DUIs and now it’s not. Of course when you go from not tracking something to doing so, going from zero is bound to represent a significant increase.

It doesn't matter what you or I think. The fact is: According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the number of marijuana impaired drivers involved in deadly crashes has risen every year between 2017 and 2019, the most recent years for which data is available.

But why? Maybe the numbers were always there. However, it's more likely because people are driving high more often. And why would they be driving high more often? Because pot is more readily available for the casual or recreational user. No doubt we will see the same in AZ.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by john3232

It doesn't matter what you or I think. The fact is: According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the number of marijuana impaired drivers involved in deadly crashes has risen every year between 2017 and 2019, the most recent years for which data is available.

But why? Maybe the numbers were always there. However, it's more likely because people are driving high more often. And why would they be driving high more often? Because pot is more readily available for the casual or recreational user. No doubt we will see the same in AZ.

How are they testing? Is it simply a driving offense for someone that has marijuana in their system? It stays in one’s system for a long time so just because someone swerved and smoked a joint two weeks ago, is it being classified as a marijuana DUI? Again, I don’t think that article proves a thing and I certainly don’t think those that wanted to smoke refrained from doing so because of a law that no one cared about.

[asufan]

Alcohol, anxiety meds, painkillers, cell phones, etc. are all examples of things which are much more determinental to drivers. Marijuana legalization is less than a drop in the ocean of things causing accidents and not even worth discussing.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by asufan

Alcohol, anxiety meds, painkillers, cell phones, etc. are all examples of things which are much more determinental to drivers. Marijuana legalization is less than a drop in the ocean of things causing accidents and not even worth discussing.

Exactly. The pearl-clutchers love finding something new to fear. It will prove baseless as always.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

I don’t buy your notion that legalization has any significant impact on usage. Prohibition was a failure and therefore those that wanted to use, have been. I can’t imagine anyone waiting to become a pot head until it was legalized. No one cared about the law.

I also don’t think your article proves anything. It says that marijuana had been previously lumped in with all DUIs and now it’s not. Of course when you go from not tracking something to doing so, going from zero is bound to represent a significant increase.

I'm with John. 0.0% chance my family was going to buy any form of weed previous to it being legalized. Previous to buying it legally, my last experience was when I was 18 years old. Here is the data to support what I just said https://insight.livestories.com/s/v2...-ebf66407b0cf/ Monthly usage has about doubled (from about 7% to about 15% in a state where it has been legalized.)

Edit: It's still illegal here in MN. I need to stock up with my drug dealer (AZ dispensaries).