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Morally reprehensible Colorado legislature

Colorado’s House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor yesterday approved HB19-1230, a bill creating “Marijuana Hospitality Establishments” so purchasers of “legal” marijuana would have public places to consume their drug of choice.  

Patrons driving home after consuming marijuana at a hospitality establishment could be impaired.  If that impairment is caused by inhaled THC, almost half of those drivers can be arrested, prosecuted and convicted of DUI.  But if their impairment was caused by THC … READ MORE

Colorado myopia

Colorado politician Representative Ed Perlmutter introduced H.R. 1595 to the US House of Representatives on March 7, 2019. 

“The purpose of this Act is to increase public safety by expanding financial services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers and reducing the amount of cash at such businesses.”

Cloaking his aim of expanding marijuana commercialization as a “public safety” issue demonstrates the myopia infecting so many politicians today.  Promoting a popular drug may be good … READ MORE

Tandem DUI per se bill introduced, PI’d

January 29, 2019, HB19-1146, Concerning the offense of Tandem DUI per se was introduced into the Colorado legislature.  This bill replaces Colorado’s current 5 ng/ml THC permissible inference law with Tandem DUI per se and makes conforming changes to other statutes.  Sponsors are Representative Dylan Roberts (D-Eagle and Routt County) and Hugh McKean (R-Loveland).  The bill has been assigned to the judiciary committee for next legislative action.

Alcohol’s per se law requires one event to … READ MORE

Response to NORML

NORML (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws) held their annual conference in Washington, DC on July 23, 2018. Deputy Director Paul Armentano presented “The Influence of Cannabis on Psychomotor Performance and Accident Risk.”

Armentano is a well-informed proponent of marijuana legalization. He is a rational, truthful person, not known to lie for his cause. But that does not prevent him from being guilty of distortions, bias, misleading statements, selective reporting or false conclusions.

Armentano’s deceptive … READ MORE

Educating Michigan

Michigan is considering legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in next month’s election.  Ross Jones of Detroit’s ABC affiliate WXYZ reported on his interviews of a number of Colorado leaders this week, asking if Colorado was less safe since legalizing marijuana in Colorado.  I was one of his interviewees.

Much of his reporting focused on the issue of marijuana-impaired driving.  I pointed out to him that marijuana-impaired driving and all drug-impaired driving is a significant … READ MORE

Twelve Drugged-Driving Lessons from Colorado

What has marijuana legalization done to Driving Under the Influence (DUI) cases in Colorado? Important answers are now emerging.  July 2018, the  Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) released a 106-page report Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol for the year 2016.  This first-of-its-kind report and its database enabled us to draw twelve important conclusions.

 

 

1          Colorado’s report is the first to show causes of DUI, not just presence of drugs

Coroners … READ MORE

Two great new sources of data!

There were two great publications out this month!

First, the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) released Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol.  This comprehensive report makes the following facts perfectly clear:

  • Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is not just about alcohol.
  • Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) is not just about marijuana (polydrug impairment is more than twice as common and far more deadly).
  • Due to
… READ MORE

Lies from the Marijuana Lobby

May 26th we posted a critique of the Congressional lobbying effort of the Cannabis Industry Association.  Since then, we have worked with Responsibility.org to get the message to Congress that they are being lied to by the marijuana lobby.  July 31stour letter went to every member of Congress in the House and the Senate.

Cosigners on our letter were:

  • American Automobile Association
  • Governors Highway Safety Association
  • Institute for Behavior and Health
  • National Association
… READ MORE

Which is safer? Stoned or drunk driving?

Neither is safe but statistics tell us that stoned driving is safer than drunk driving. Marijuana-impaired driving is of particular concern not just because of its inherent danger, but because of its increasing prevalence and a common but falsely-held belief that stoned driving is not dangerous. Marijuana-impaired driving is less deadly than drunk driving, just as a .22 caliber bullet is less deadly than a .45 caliber bullet. But all four can and do kill.… READ MORE

The pot lobby

Two weeks after the marijuana lobby descended on Congress, Senators Cory Gardner and Elizabeth Warren announced legislation that would prevent Federal officials from enforcing the nation’s drug laws.  Senator Cory Gardner has abandoned his integrity and common sense to support the emerging marijuana industry instead of his constituents. The bill he and Senator Elizabeth Warren are sponsoring is based upon two false statements Gardner has given to his constituents:

  1. Marijuana legalization is a states’ rights issue;
… READ MORE