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Ontario - a place to grow

mayfly

mayfly

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Hi folks,

So I just got my car sticker renewal forms.  Came with the usual pamphlet describing the norms for good driver behaviour - move over for emergency vehicles, watch for pedestrians and cyclists, don't try to text and drive, and all that.

What caught my eye was the "Don't drive impaired" section.  Check it out!

index.php


It's the new norm in Ontario!! 
Ontario - a place to grow.
 

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I guess I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Are you talking about the weed symbol?


Maybe I'm not noticing anything out of the ordinary because I live in Washington, and there are literally five weed stores within a half mile of where I'm typing this right now.
 
I see no drugs, weed or alcohol on a line. Maybe that means you can't do all three at the same time. :icon_biggrin:
 
I think the eye-catching bit is that an official document acknowledges marijuana (which, maybe is still "illegal-ish" in Canada?) as a thing you shouldn't be using while driving, alongside perfectly-legal substances like medication and alcohol.  Basically says "yeah, we know this is a thing.  Don't do it while driving."

Probably nothing abnormal if you live in Colorado or Washington, but if that was published here in Ohio people would have a fit that the government is acknowledging marijuana use without condemning it.  Because reasons.
 
Nope. You're imagining the response. It just says that you can be charged with DWI for anything that cause I. It's a poster. Nobody is upset that it fails to condemn pedophilia, insurrection, discharging refrigerants, copyright infringement,racism, tailgating, or driving in the passing lane. It doesn't condone anything, nor would anyone (on either side) interpret it to do so.
 
I didn't say it condoned marijuana use, I said it acknowledges marijuana use (which it does) as a cause of impaired driving.  Never in Ohio (or on any Federal campaign) have I seen something that specifically calls out marijuana as a cause of DWI and states not to use it while driving because, Federally, marijuana is an illicit substance that is not used by law-abiding citizens.  Recently that has begun to change, but not at the Federal level.

Acknowledgment of marijuana alongside perfectly-legal substances such as alcohol and prescription medication is something I have not seen, nor would I expect it to be acceptable in a safety campaign by the US government.  Alcohol and prescription meds are regularly, legally, used by non-criminals, but should be avoided while driving.  As far as the Feds (and many Midwesterners) are concerned, marijuana is not.

That is my opinion as an employee of NHTSA.
 
I, for one, welcome it. I just don't know how they'll enforce it. I've long thought the thing holding back legalization has been the lack of a reliable way of quantifying THC intoxication. As far as I know, there's still no way of doing that objectively, so you can be stoned out of your gourd and there's no way to prove you shouldn't be trusted behind the wheel. Conversely, you can be sober as a judge and if you're a regular user, the traditional blood tests can say you're Cheech and Chong's best friend. So, the only thing you have going into court is a "he said, she said" defense/prosecution that will invariably just waste people's time while doing nothing for highway safety.
 
Did no one notice the DWI/DD penalties? A 3-30 day suspension and a $198 fine at roadside OR a 90 day suspension, 7 day impound, and $198 fine? Now THAT'S progressive! And that slap on the wrist is apparently considered a warning in Ontario! Damn son, in NY that would be considered an invitation!
:icon_jokercolor:
 
Yeah, NY tends to go down heavy on some things, left overs from the Rockefeller years. I've seen guy's under confinement, doing 3-1/2 to 7 for DWI without any injuries!

I salute Ontario's approach, guess it's just a different mind set when approaching a problem.
 
Beware of what you ask for, in Washington State DUI is up significantly since weed was "legalized." I almost got mowed down here in a crosswalk by someone with big, dilated eyes. I chased him to the stop light and started screaming at him in my bright red Keep Calm and Carry On t shirt. It was priceless, best part being I didn't get run over. Other day some old lady in a velour tracksuit almost nailed me dead with her mini van, and I don't walk around looking at my phone and watch what others are doing. Just don't drive intoxicated, brochures know everything. We think they are just stupid trifolds but they know.......
 
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