Drug Fuelled Driving

WiresDreamDisasters

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Tbh, I'm sick of weed. The people I know who smoke it regularly are all a bit.... what would you say.... unproductive, unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unchallengeable. It really does ruin your brain - at least for a lot of people.

Sassafras

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Tbh, I'm sick of weed. The people I know who smoke it regularly are all a bit.... what would you say.... unproductive, unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unchallengeable. It really does ruin your brain - at least for a lot of people.

FWIW, I agree.
I've known quite a few people who suffered from drug psychosis due to ridiculously strong skunk. Certainly more than with speed, coke or acid.

digitalscream

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Interesting you should say that. One guy I know had to stop driving altogether for a number of years because he kept having panic attacks and nearly crashing the car when being overtaken or lorries went past him a bit close.

The cause of the panic attacks?

Weed.

Sassafras

digitalscream said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Interesting you should say that. One guy I know had to stop driving altogether for a number of years because he kept having panic attacks and nearly crashing the car when being overtaken or lorries went past him a bit close.

The cause of the panic attacks?

Weed.

That's the strange thing about weed. It can affect some people profoundly. I've never much liked it because it affected me in an unpredictable way. I found it to be the strongest of the psychotropic drugs. Othe folk can smoke it till it's coming out their ears and they appear relatively normal.
I think we can all agree that alcohol doesn't improve anyone's safety behind the wheel.

Modellista

digitalscream said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Interesting you should say that. One guy I know had to stop driving altogether for a number of years because he kept having panic attacks and nearly crashing the car when being overtaken or lorries went past him a bit close.

The cause of the panic attacks?

Weed.

That’s an extreme example of why weed doesn’t translate into dangerous driving. It makes you more cautious, not less like booze. 

springhead

Surely having weed induced panic attacks which nearly resulted in crashing his car definitely does translate to dangerous driving.  A panic attack could result in smacking into other cars, not just veering off into a ditch.

sawyer

The whole of County Durham stinks of the stuff because Durham Police have actually publically announced they won't do a thing about it unless your caught dealing. Estates stink of it. Kids out in the street growing up thinking this is normal. Don't care what anyone says its a gateway drug. 

digitalscream

Modellista said:

digitalscream said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Interesting you should say that. One guy I know had to stop driving altogether for a number of years because he kept having panic attacks and nearly crashing the car when being overtaken or lorries went past him a bit close.

The cause of the panic attacks?

Weed.

That’s an extreme example of why weed doesn’t translate into dangerous driving. It makes you more cautious, not less like booze. 

Have you ever seen somebody have a panic attack while at the wheel on a dual carriageway, doing 70mph? Based on that comment, I don't think you have.

Panic attacks don't mean you're being more cautious. They bring you out in a sweat, make you close your eyes, make you dizzy and possibly faint, and drastically affect your decision-making. Basically, making you a deadly threat to everybody else within half a mile of you.

He didn't report it to the DVLA and give up his licence. His GP did, because he was a hazard to everybody on the road.

I don't think that's a convincing example of how weed "makes you more cautious".

notanon

sawyer said:

The whole of County Durham stinks of the stuff because Durham Police have actually publically announced they won't do a thing about it unless your caught dealing. Estates stink of it. Kids out in the street growing up thinking this is normal. Don't care what anyone says its a gateway drug. 

It makes me laugh when people talk about legalising cannabis, have they never walked down the street these days? Bristol, London, Cardiff, . . . blatantly smoked.

If it was the mild old grass of the past I would not be so bothered but skunk stinks and AFAIU a completely different kettle of fish.

Sassafras

To be fair, if you do any drug regularly and plentifully you're going to be affected negatively.

WiresDreamDisasters

Modellista said:

digitalscream said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Interesting you should say that. One guy I know had to stop driving altogether for a number of years because he kept having panic attacks and nearly crashing the car when being overtaken or lorries went past him a bit close.

The cause of the panic attacks?

Weed.

That’s an extreme example of why weed doesn’t translate into dangerous driving. It makes you more cautious, not less like booze. 

In my experience this just isn't true. There is one guy I know who I really hate being in a car with, and it's because he smokes weed every single day and can't control his temper.

ThePrettyDamned

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Tbh, I'm sick of weed. The people I know who smoke it regularly are all a bit.... what would you say.... unproductive, unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unchallengeable. It really does ruin your brain - at least for a lot of people.

Me too. I've read all of the very strong views that it's mostly harmless, but everyone I know who regularly smokes pot is a fucking douchebag and generally not exactly bright. And some of them were... 

There is one super smart chap I know who smokes regularly at the weekends, and he's super smart but easily distracted and generally "blah" about everything. The minute weed pops up in conversation he's suddenly engaged! Weird. 

All anecdotal so could be total horseshit. 

sawyer

My neighbours bonkers on it.  He's got the street stinking of it. First sign of sunshine he's out there in front garden spoiling it for everyone else. Then out in the car to get some more. Dickhead.

Modellista

digitalscream said:

Modellista said:

digitalscream said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Interesting you should say that. One guy I know had to stop driving altogether for a number of years because he kept having panic attacks and nearly crashing the car when being overtaken or lorries went past him a bit close.

The cause of the panic attacks?

Weed.

That’s an extreme example of why weed doesn’t translate into dangerous driving. It makes you more cautious, not less like booze. 

Have you ever seen somebody have a panic attack while at the wheel on a dual carriageway, doing 70mph? Based on that comment, I don't think you have.

Panic attacks don't mean you're being more cautious. They bring you out in a sweat, make you close your eyes, make you dizzy and possibly faint, and drastically affect your decision-making. Basically, making you a deadly threat to everybody else within half a mile of you.

He didn't report it to the DVLA and give up his licence. His GP did, because he was a hazard to everybody on the road.

I don't think that's a convincing example of how weed "makes you more cautious".

No, of course I haven't, I don't let stoners drive me around.  However I do know what a panic attack is, thanks.

It's an extreme example of the kind, by the sounds of it he's gone off the scale of caution into full-blown paranoia.  I wonder how much he's smoked over the years to get to that stage.  My point still stands - weed makes you more cautious, but yes, let's agree extreme caution of the kind described above can be dangerous.

I hereby refine my sentence to, "That’s an extreme example of why weed generally doesn’t translate into dangerous driving. It makes you more cautious, not less like booze", in an effort to make it more impervious.

It must take years of strong skunk to get to the panic attack stage.  It only take 10 mins of vodka drinking to make you a dangerous drunk driver, is my point.

PS interesting breach of confidence by the GP.

digitalscream

Modellista said:

My point still stands - weed makes you more cautious, but yes, let's agree extreme caution of the kind described above can be dangerous.

It doesn't, because "the kind described above" is not caution at all! A panic attack is effectively a breakdown of mental processes and physical control. I honestly don't understand how you can say you know what a panic attack is and then describe it as "extreme caution".

Modellista said:

PS interesting breach of confidence by the GP.

Well, it's not an illegal breach of confidence. It's mandated by the General Medical Council that GPs have to inform the DVLA when patients are driving against medical advice, when the drivers themselves are breaking the law by not informing the DVLA of a condition that's affecting their ability to safely operate a vehicle. And, honestly, I'm glad about that.

cm01

Modellista said:

It must take years of strong skunk to get to the panic attack stage.  It only take 10 mins of vodka drinking to make you a dangerous drunk driver, is my point.

Depends on the individual, their predisposition and what they’ve smoked ... I smoked one joint of ridiculously strong purple skunk in Australia in the mid-90’s (and I’m guessing it’s much much stronger these days) which led directly to me suffering panic attacks for quite a while afterwards 

thegummy

notanon said:

sawyer said:

The whole of County Durham stinks of the stuff because Durham Police have actually publically announced they won't do a thing about it unless your caught dealing. Estates stink of it. Kids out in the street growing up thinking this is normal. Don't care what anyone says its a gateway drug. 

It makes me laugh when people talk about legalising cannabis, have they never walked down the street these days? Bristol, London, Cardiff, . . . blatantly smoked.

That's an argument for legalising it - if it's so widespread anyway then allow businesses to sell it instead of gangsters, have it create jobs and tax the sale of it.

p90fool

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Sassafras said:

I'm not condoning it but if you must drive under the influence I'd rather you were stoned than drunk, coked, smacked up or on ecstasy and whizz.

Tbh, I'm sick of weed. The people I know who smoke it regularly are all a bit.... what would you say.... unproductive, unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unchallengeable. It really does ruin your brain - at least for a lot of people.

I agree, I can't stand playing with musicians who smoke weed anymore either, they lose their drive and even their sense of humour. 

I think it's become so strong in the last couple of decades that it's no longer a social drug, you can tell when you're talking to a regular smoker these days even when they haven't had any today. 

That fine pinpoint of concentration required for wit, analysis and sharp banter just disappears, it's like being in an old people's home. 

Snap

Weed & driving - is anyone seriously saying that this is OK? I've smoked enough of the stuff to know that I would not want to be behind a wheel whilst high.

Drugs affect your judgment, your perceptions and your reactions: not what you need to mess with when you are driving.

It's pretty bloody simple really.

Gassage

As someone who smokes pretty regularly some points back;

1. The so called effect of weed on someone isn't binary- it'll tend to enhance whatever flaws/character/mood traits someone has.

2. Unproductiveness- disagree- again depends on point 1- I used to work with someone (he was MD) who also was a stoner but owned a big successfuil biz. On many occasions he, his wife and I would do the marketing plans stoned- and the outcomes were fantastic, because in our instances we were pretty professional people and it tended to unlock creative ideas. Branson, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are/were substantial users.

3. Gateway drug- that all depends on the addictive nature of people- alcohol is equally a gateway drug IMO. I have smoked since I was 23 and haven't ever really wanted or enjoyed much else (other than MKat for sex fun on occasions)

4. Totally agree about driving when stoned- I will admit in my younger days I have done it loads of times but about 8 years ago stopped totally. Pointless debating in comparison to alcohol because whichever way it affects you (calms or whatever) you are still impaired. Don't do it.

5. Smoking in street or outside a shop- well, I find someone drinking beer on a train during the day equally as reprehensible.

6. Playing guitar and smoking- totally agree with @p90fool - one thing I've noticed is it totally fucks up your pitch tonality. Ironically, for someone who doesn't really drink, I have always found a couple of pints really loosens my playing up in a good way and relaxes me far more than smoking.