The Insanity of DUI with Marijuana

After passing through a narrow margin of votes in Colorado in 2013, recreational marijuana use was legalized after January first in 2014. Washington State also passed the same legislation by voting that year which was not as surprising but equally as infuriating for anyone who is concerned about the when and where of use and by whom. With stiff federal regulations still in effect one has to wonder how it could have passed. Nevertheless, it’s there and the general public will have to deal with it even though regulations are still in strict reinforcement along with taxation.

     Those regulations on who can sell, tax revenues and amounts that are dispensed are hardly assuaging to a public more concerned about what our safety will be on the roads, working around and with heavy machinery to say nothing of health- mental or physical. If you are not concerned about what someone else does to themselves or to others under the influence of marijuana then maybe I should introduce you to what it actually does to people who insist on smoking weed and driving. That’s hair-raising enough isn’t it? Considering the rise in fatalities on U.S. roadways and highways everyone should consider introducing a bill that makes it illegal for all purposes throughout the States.

     Ahem! Marijuana’s known effects include altered consciousness, perceptual distortions, drowsiness, impaired memory and impaired coordination. Those hallucinogenic effects would obviously seriously affect and impair your ability to drive correctly- and way off the charts!

     By Colorado law, drivers are assumed to be impaired if their blood test shows a level of THC- the active hallucinogenic constituent in marijuana- of 5 or more nanograms per milliliter. There is a great deal of debate on how much marijuana a person needs to inhale or ingest before he or she is impaired. There are many variables, including THC’s level of concentration as well as individual biological reactive and susceptible differences in the user which impact the drug’s effects. It will be different from one person to the next in the usual way- i.e. height, weight, age, allergies, etc. Research has been limited and development of impairment testing equipment is in infancy. As a result, at the present time there is no roadside device that law enforcement can use to measure marijuana impairment. However, one thing is certain. Driving under the influence of marijuana, much more than driving under the influence of alcohol, can be dangerous- to put it mildly.

     In the mean time, here is a run down on the regulations which remain in effect and should be duly noted. Here are five of which I know about and are important to keep in mind for everyone:

     1. Selling marijuana without a license remains illegal. Purchasing marijuana from someone who does not have license to sell it is also illegal.

     2. Selling or giving marijuana to someone under 21 is illegal and a serious crime with stiffer penalties than before it was passed.

     3. Marijuana cannot be smoked or consumed ‘openly and publicly’- on public streets, parks or buildings. Its use is limited to your home or privately owned and occupied buildings.

     4. Marijuana purchased in Colorado cannot legally be taken out-of-state to sell or for any other reason. 

     5. Operating a motor vehicle while impaired is illegal and prosecutable.

     The next time someone asks you to sign a petition to pass marijuana use in your state, keep all of what I’ve told you in mind. Do the responsible thing for all of us. Just say, “No.” 

Stay Safe,

Review of A Higher Loyalty

Truth, Lies and Leadership

by James Comey

Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.

 – Henry David Thoreau

     Very seldom do I pick up a book to read and not want to put it down until I’ve finished but A Higher Loyalty kept me riveted to the pages. Not one word is extraneous and it is written in such a way that you know from the start that an important conclusion is around every bend in the breakneck narrative. If you’re expecting political fodder you may as well stay away from it but occasional humor throughout kept me hooked on what felt like a journey into the unknown. There is an educational tone to every part of Comey’s indictment on what has been and is currently going on at the White House and how these most current events are affecting all the branches of United States Government. Surprisingly, most of it is more about character, professional deportment, moral values and being ethical and truthful. It became obvious to me within the first hour of reading that the information contained in its pages were written with the welfare of American citizens in mind- specifically, people on a personal level. Comey also has lots of answers for United States citizens and is much more straightforward, honest and explanatory than anything you’re currently going to get from the Trump administration.

    

Two key chapters in the book, 9 and 10, covers classified data and misplacement of it concerning Ed Snowden (who I now consider to be a criminal and traitor to our country) and Hillary Clinton’s e-mails which were found to be low level classified and sent to people who had government clearance for said data and therefore deemed not prosecutable after two separate and thorough investigations by FBI agents under Comey’s direction. I didn’t understand much about classified information prior to reading this book but applaud James Comey for taking the time to put it all down in black and white. Now I know for certain what I only supposed or wondered about for a long time. By the time Hillary was interviewed about the e-mails, which was after the first investigation, it was ascertained that she told the truth about her handling of the e-mails and cleared herself of any more investigations prior to the election. Even though a second investigation was carried out after the interview it revealed nothing different than what had already been reviewed.

     Besides getting James Comey’s life story thus far, his book gives us a true window into the world of the FBI without giving away a trace of classified information. We get to see the shaping of a life into an FBI director’s world which Mr.Comey keeps bereft of political bias out of expected protocol and proper deportment of his own. He explained in detail how that affects and sometimes complicates the work of all FBI personnel who he recounts with full respect and appreciation. Not once does James Comey make cheap shots at anyone in connection to his work with the FBI, or previously as Assistant U.S. Attorney (New York and VA), deputy attorney general during Bush’s administration and after eight years working in the private sector, appointed as Director of the FBI midway into Obama’s administration.  He doesn’t dignify anything that has come out of the mouth of Trump since taking the White House by repeating a single word of his, on or off the record, except where he had to clarify dialogue that occurred between the two of them on several occasions. This was despite his numerous and required attempts at avoidance. He reiterated himself several times about this issue, first to Trump and then members of Trump’s staff, of the necessity of keeping the FBI protocol when once and done should have settled the question. (Whatever else has been said of Trump I will say that his ignorance is sticking out like a sore thumb. The man only knows how to fire people. Abruptly.)  

     A Higher Loyalty encompasses revealing information about the years prior to and after 9/11 and the past two years, specifically, for all Americans who voted (once) and stood on the sidelines waiting to see the outcome. I stopped reading the book, for the space of about a month, to think about this last election and the behavior I’m seeing from the so-called chief. (I hesitate to call him a president.)

     When questioned about elections it is often discovered that American people make their political and voting decisions based on inconsequential things instead of educating themselves about the issues and the reputation of the people running for office. In order for your vote to have its true value you must do more than scratch the surface on current events and issues. In an environment of haste, which our country and the economy suffers from, now more than ever, it is a recipe for disaster not to get as informed as you can- not just about the issues but the candidates who propose to do something about them. Indeed, the candidates must know what the real issues are and specifically if they will have the power and/or ideas to be able to implement solutions which make sense and work for every citizen. Additionally, the true character of a candidate is every bit as important as the issues, along with his/her qualifications and expertise because, in the long run, only impeccable character will be able to carry anything through. Confucius taught that no government can be better than the character of its rulers and further, if our politics are not based on agreed upon moral truths they will not stand.

    

I’ve read and heard too much banter about our system of government being broken when, in fact, that could only be proven if the system was being utilized the way it was originally set up to run. My feeling is that too many people have taken potshots at our government and policing and have never actually tried to follow the system. This is particularly true with the way we handle illegal immigration. Perhaps our implementers and policing is broken. Picture a crippled man trying to ride a bike that is in running condition and you’re closer to the truth of what is happening. No one who comes to the United States should ever be treated like they don’t belong here unless that person is a convicted fugitive already.

     That being said, when I picked the book back up and finished it I suddenly realized that Comey practically sent me a message personally. It’s personal for all of us who love our country because of the form of government our forefathers set up. We don’t live here simply because we were born here. We’re here because we’re guaranteed privileges, rights and freedoms that no other country offers and we can also contribute to them as well. All of that comes with a responsibility toward our highest moral goals, however. If we are Americans- free and proud then we’re going to have to show that we have something to be proud of, don’t we?

     Do I recommend this book? It should be required reading for every person currently residing in the U.S. It will give you a good reason to become literate in English. Welcome to the land of the free and the home of the brave.