There’s a new cannabis report from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, and with a name like that, you can be sure it’s traffic reefer madness.
Some in the media consider this report the final “hard evidence” we need to take driving stoned seriously (and by proxy, never legalizing consumption sites, since, presumably, that increases the chance of traffic accidents).
Today’s reefer madness appears more insidious than the old justifications for prohibition. America’s first drug czar Harry J. Anslinger said cannabis (he called it “marihuana”) was the most violence-causing drug in the world.
Alongside newspaper baron William Hearst (who financially benefited from cannabis prohibition), the move to demonize cannabis as an insanity-causing substance and labelling the THC-free hemp crop as indistinguishable from the drug, the birth of modern cannabis propaganda began.
And it hasn’t gone away since.
Old reefer madness may look dumb and racist to us now, but what about current traffic reefer madness?
Because there’s no lethal overdose of cannabis, it has countless medicinal properties, and because large pharmaceutical companies can’t patent the natural herb, the powers that be must find another angle.
Ergo, traffic reefer madness, where, at least in Canada, legalizing consumption spaces is “premature.”
Traffic Reefer Madness Means No Consumption Spaces?
Only in Canada can traffic reefer madness translate into no consumption spaces. Presumably, people are incapable of walking to and from these places. Or taking public transit or a taxi.
And aren’t we conveniently ignoring bars and lounges where they serve alcohol? The report does mention it. It claims “more than 40 years of alcohol research have guided legislation, policies, and programs to prevent and reduce alcohol-impaired driving.”
But how they phrased it is dishonest. Their wording suggests we legalized alcohol in a strict and controlled fashion that paralleled mitigating traffic risks. But that’s not what happened at all.
Alcohol was re-legalized because prohibition – a public health policy – was a colossal failure. Since then, it’s been a patchwork effort to plug the holes. Namely, getting drunks off the road.
“Learn As You Go”
Understandably, people want to avoid the same mistakes with cannabis. But we’re not talking about the same drug. Nor are its effects anything remotely like each other.
The report warns about taking a “learn as you go” approach without realizing that this is the only way to learn.
These report’s authors need to be more familiar with Frederich Hayek. As far as social sciences go, without Hayek, it’s like you’re doing modern physics with pre-relativistic math.
According to Hayek, there is a pretense of knowledge with specific “experts” and policymakers. They believe they can gather enough data to make accurate predictions and design optimal solutions. Where in reality, the complexity and unpredictability of the world make this impossible.
Consider the significant problems with this latest traffic reefer madness report.
The authors are overconfident in the data. The data they’ve collected doesn’t accurately represent “cannabis impairment,” nor have they accounted for all the variables.
The report’s authors made too many generalizations. They extrapolated data and made recommendations that were not necessarily applicable or appropriate for this context.
Finally, as is usually the case among “public” experts, they ignore unintended consequences. Mainly by focusing on the effects of one group in the short term instead of the long-term impacts on everyone.
Details of the Traffic Reefer Madness Report
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
This report uses traffic reefer madness to argue against legalized consumption spaces.
Moving forward without clearly defined strategies to regulate establishments, strengthen alternative transportation options, bolster enforcement and prevent impaired driving is ill-advised. Consideration of tactics to make cannabis consumption spaces economically feasible as a business should be a secondary priority to public safety risks.
As we’ve covered before, laws are already on the books to regulate cannabis – including cannabis consumption sites. This obsession with passing more rules and regulations highlights how philosophically inept most – if not all — “public health” experts are.
And it gets worse. The report says drivers with cannabis in their system are 1.3 to 1.4 times more likely to be involved in an accident.
Granted, they mention that testing positive for cannabis “is insufficient to conclude driving impairment.” But that’s as far as that reasoning goes.
You could smoke a joint and get into a fender bender three days later. This report will reference studies that list it as a traffic crash caused by cannabis.
This report is traffic reefer madness.
It finds the amount of admitted cannabis consumers has risen since 2004. That year, only 7.2% reported using cannabis. By 2020, it was 22%.
It’s almost like Canada legalized cannabis or something.
According to the report, this increase in Canadian cannabis consumers warrants new investigations and regulations.
According to reality, more Canadians are open about admitting their use to pollsters now that it’s legal.
In 2020, 2.1% of Canadians admitted to driving within two hours of using cannabis. The official rules state you have to wait until after two hours.
Do these people feel impaired? How often and how much do they consume? Are they using sativa cannabis like an espresso shot? How does cannabis impair a medical user?
Rather than ask these questions, wouldn’t it be easier to amp up the traffic reefer madness and secure future funding that way?
Of course, pedestrians are another problem, according to this report.
In 2018, over 25% of fatally injured pedestrians tested positive for alcohol. (Only 13.6% tested positive for cannabis).
So I guess we should stay inside all the time, then. Sober or not. It’s good for the environment. #ClimateLockdown
No Consumption Spaces Until XYZ
You expect a report from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation concerning cannabis to be full of traffic reefer madness.
The real problem stems from politicians who listen to this “public health” nonsense over their constituents.
Or even worse, if your Ontario Premier Doug Ford, you decide on consumption spaces based on your personal value judgements.
“I don’t like the idea of having a lounge outside and they’re smoking or doobies or weed or whatever the heck they call it now,” he said.
Following up with, “If you want to do your stuff, do it somewhere else. That’s my opinion.”
But his opinion isn’t just an opinion. His opinions determine how 15 million people can live their lives.
And why not have indoor lounges if the smell is a problem? Because Ontario‘s Smoke-Free Act prohibits it. Never mind that Doug can amend the legislation. Public health would never allow it. And we know how compliant Doug Ford is regarding public health.
The Smoke-Free Act is a joke. Only in Canada could the word “free” be construed to mean something you can’t do.
Four Main Factors to Consider
According to this report, there are “four main factors to be considered” regarding traffic reefer madness before consumption spaces get legalized.
1. People Driving Under the Influence.
They look at their success in reducing drunk driving and figure they can do the same with cannabis.
Of course, it’s not like bars were illegal until we got drunk driving rates under a certain percentage, so there’s issue number one. Number two, alcohol and cannabis couldn’t be more different.
We need more realistic approaches regarding stoned driving other than simply “don’t.”
2. THC in Trauma Centres.
When an injured driver receives treatment and the trauma centre runs many tests, 20% have THC in their system.
Keep in mind this says nothing of impairment. THC stays in your system for at least 30 days. Tests can detect it up to 90. Injured drivers with THC in their systems tell us nothing about what caused the accident.
Even when you account for the concentration of it in the blood, what might knock over a lightweight would be nothing more than a buzz to a medical patient.
3. You Have to Agree With Us!
Before legalization, some jurisdictions undertook roadside surveys to get a baseline for traffic. Of the 7,265 randomly selected drivers, 97.7% provided breath samples, and 90% submitted oral fluid samples.
The result? Only 7.6% tested for cannabis. Also, drunk drivers have decreased.
This report is attempting to make an issue out of nothing. The country is trending in the right direction regarding drunk driving.
When it comes to cannabis, the connoisseurs are right. Don’t drive impaired. But not all cannabis use is impairing.
I don’t know why public health busybodies can’t comprehend this.
4. Consumption Lounges Lead to Impaired Driving
If you thought traffic reefer madness was bad, this is where the report goes off the deep end. You and I are denied property rights because of an appeal to “public safety risks.”
The report says, “There is no evidence to suggest cannabis-impaired drivers will make safer choices than alcohol-impaired drivers.”
Of course, the absence of evidence does not necessarily imply evidence to the contrary. The fact this line made it through editing shows how this report is more traffic reefer madness than an objective analysis of the issue.
Traffic Reefer Madness Wins Again
Traffic reefer madness is alive and well. And it’s effective. Most Canadians see how benign cannabis is. But because so many view impairment through the lens of alcohol, they defer to the public health authorities regarding cannabis and the road.
The result is traffic reefer madness.
Of course, cannabis and alcohol will be the substances you find most in traffic or pedestrian fatalities. They’re legal and the most widely used.
This would be like surveying a popular tourist destination for Europeans and acting surprised when most tourists are from Europe rather than the U.S. or Canada.
The fact is: whether or not stoned driving is a pressing concern in Canada does not invalidate the intrinsic rights we have as human beings.
That means the person throwing you in a cage for smoking a plant is the criminal. The same applies to the criminal preventing you from opening a consumption lounge on your private property.
Canada may have legalized cannabis, but we didn’t do it for those reasons. It was a “public health” initiative; therefore, privately-owned public consumption spaces are verboten because they don’t fit into this model.
That’s how you end up with this traffic reefer madness report. Ultimately, the authors recommend training more police officers and giving them the tools to detect “cannabis impairment.”
But how dangerous can you be if the police can’t tell with their naked eye that you’re impaired and should not be driving?
Canadians need a federal government to provide defence and maintain internal order. We don’t need public health bureaucrats acting like helicopter parents to a nation of adults.
Great news, America. The price of cannabis should fall for most of your adult life. Legalization has ushered in economies of scale—bringing a $60 bag down to $6. There’s penny joints, buy one get one free, buy two get one free, and on and on.
The question remains—how do I get at this fabulous affordable herb? Here’s a Leafly Cannabis 101 article on Why you should shop early for cannabis deals.
Wait, there are deals on weed in stores now?
If you just woke up from a coma, there are 24 legalization states, and over 40 medical ones. Thousands of dispensaries blanket the land—from remote Alaskan islands to balmy Miami.
Cannabis offers a popular alternative to stronger holiday stuff including alcohol. Plus, weed fans relish the chance to pick up something special for the holidays; and share it with friends.
Everyone loads up at the last minute on some pre-rolls or gummies or what have you. The line gets long, supplies run low, and in terms of the price—you can take it or leave it.
But today, November 4, three weeks out—you have your pick of the menus, and time to shop around deals near you. Weed prices are volatile. The good stuff holds firm at $60 per eighth ounce, then goes for half that when it runs the risk of going stale. Pounce on that.
You gotta take advantage of timing and shopping around, or you’re doing capitalism bad and you should feel bad.
Why you should shop early for weed deals: Better selection
New batches of Connected Trop Z don’t sit around awaiting for long. (Image courtesy of Connected.)
Here’s a fact—the best stuff often sells out the fastest. Grab a Cannabis Cup or Emerald Cup winner the second it drops. Shoot, order it for pick-up. Don’t get left with the snickle-fritz on Green Wednesday.
Maybe—instead of grabbing an overpriced, stale pre-roll on Christmas Eve, go in early December and get a premium hashhole with a gram of bubble hash for a penny.
What is early for cannabis deals this season?
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 28th, 2024. You can plan your Turkey Day sesh out exquisitely starting today. Take a voice note of your dream scenario: ‘Some Permanent Marker flower, some Z live rosin. …’ Then search it up on Leafly, and order it.
There’s no shame in visualizing now what sesh success looks like on Nov. 28. Look around you. The Christmas catalogs from Amazon have dropped. Mariah Carey is taking pre-orders for the 30th anniversary edition of Merry Christmas.
Why you should shop early for cannabis deals: Stress less
Stress is toxic.
Don’t be one of those stressed-out fools honking in traffic on Green Wednesday. Be at home, stocked up in your snuggery, making crafts and stuff. Go marinate something for Thanksgiving the next day. Spend your weed savings on gifts for yourself—I mean, other people.
It’s 2024—you’re not sitting in traffic, you are traffic. There are so many new stress-free ways to re-up. In Canada, you can get a joint with your burrito on Uber Eats. Missouri has legal weed drive-throughs. More places offer pickup and curbside pickup. Arizona just added home delivery for all adults age 21+.
Related
How to order weed delivery online with Leafly
Waiting in lines is lame. Do something great for your future self, and lock in a sweet holiday stash today.
Holidays are the most fun when you plan well, get what you need, and allow yourself to be present and enjoy the vibes. Good luck out there.
Legal in all 50 states
With three weeks out you can order hemp stuff from across the country. Here’s some of our affiliate deals.
In this market, dealing with countless items related to one’s well-being and lifestyle seems almost impossible. It is especially hard for individuals when they are faced with too many choices at the same time, which may or may not work. This is where acquiring a medical card becomes important. A medical card not only allows you to access more products but also allows you to trust providers of such authentic products. Professional cards are also useful when one only wishes to limit the number of items purchased within the confines of a particular standard without specializing in them. In this post, we will explain how simply being equipped with a medical card can help you buy trusted products and make up your mind quicker when making a major purchase.
Access to regulated products
A medical card is treated as a defense weapon, hot in demand as it opens doors to sell licensed products at certified dispensaries. A medical card enables consumers to ensure that they meet certain quality requirements.
In this case, the oversights imposed by those in power ensure at least some compliance with standards and provide greater clarity in production – who, what, and where the product is made – this is often lost when products are acquired from uncontrolled chains. Besides, a medical card usually provides access to greater choices, such as more specific products.
For patients, having a medical card can facilitate the purchase of certain products, as such cards usually provide trusted users with access to quality products. Most licensed dispensaries or vendors practice stringent controls in availing their products, guided by specific safety, consistency, and purity benchmarks.
Therefore, the card facilitates contact with approved suppliers, which helps avoid receiving low-quality and fake goods. Moreover, those selling such products also provide details and available test results, enabling the consumers to make appropriate choices.
Verified product sourcing
A medical card is perhaps most important in its specificity in ensuring access to only trusted and verified products. Consumers with a medical card can buy from licensed dispensaries, which are regulated and controlled for quality.
Such establishments must buy from reputable suppliers who follow procedures for growing, producing, and testing the goods. This degree of administration guarantees the safety of the products and their correct labeling in accordance with the regulations.
Guidance from licensed professionals
A medical card allows you to consult with licensed people who know how to select and use the products, making it easier to select trustworthy products. When you have a medical card, you can talk to professionals who can offer you products that suit your individual requirements, which means you will make sound decisions.
This professional opinion enables you to select the most appropriate among a vast array of options, giving you a sense of assurance that your choices are professional-driven.
Legal protection for purchases
A medical card is a vital legal cover when purchasing certain products, allowing you to make purchases from reputable vendors. When you possess a medical card, you can legally obtain items from registered sellers who follow the law and regulations, which makes it possible for the items to be safe and of good quality.
Such a legal status also protects the buyers as consumers, knowing, for example, that all the goods they are buying are legal, minimizing the chances of getting into trouble over legal issues.
Transparency in labeling
There’s a reason why a medical card is important in relation to accessing credible products – transparency in labeling. This builds trust between consumers and sellers.
Other buyers use an in-hand medical card to confirm that their products are legitimate and have passed the necessary testing as more strict label requirements will be followed. For instance, with kratom shots, knowing the ingredients and their potency is critical.
Exclusive access to certain suppliers
Due to governmental regulations and supplier exclusivity, a medical card is important in accessing reputable products. Individuals with a medical card can purchase from licensed suppliers and dispensaries bound by stringent product quality, safety, and transparency standards.
Generally speaking, these suppliers provide a wider range of products designed to treat specific health conditions, implying even more oversight than other sources offer. Moreover, such a medical card allows one to access specific products otherwise unavailable to the general public.
How Do You Get A Medical Card To Buy Trusted Products?
Obtaining a medical to purchase trustworthy products will take some time and may vary by location.
To start, you need to know the requirements pertaining to your state or country’s regulations, which are usually centralized.
Usually, the first step involves making an appointment with a qualified doctor, who will decide if you qualify for a medical card according to that region’s administration.
Once given such permission, a person must file a formal application with the relevant authority, along with documents like proof of residence and ID.
In some areas, a registration fee may also be imposed. When the application is processed and approved, you will receive a medical card, which will authorize you to buy items from licensed dispensaries or sellers of genuine regulated products.
It is important to be sure of certain basic principles when claiming a medical card so that obtaining one is efficient and successful.
To begin with, confirm your state’s eligibility criteria because they have vast differences and may have to do with minimum medical conditions and/or minimum age or residency requirements.
All relevant forms of identification must be assembled, such as proof of residency and medical records pertaining to the application.
In addition, take time to look for a registered medical practitioner who understands the examination: such a person should understand the medical card system and be able to assist in his recommendations.
Lastly, make yourself acquainted with the sequence of the steps to be taken in the process because these may be time-bound.
Check the progress on the application and any indicative follow-ups that may have been made to the application so that the medical card is received in due time.
For many years, people have tried to make use of cannabis. In the modern day, though, the world’s attention is more focused on medicinal properties. With so many strains, products, and potential benefits available, it can be hard to decide to go through the process of acquiring a medical card. But if doing so is something that you might consider, it is essential to know that as an initial step, you need to obtain your medical card. The first one is legal access to high-quality products and personalized assistance. Also, the person possessing a medical card will often pay a lower price and have access to specialties not offered to recreational users. The timing for medical cards is now much more favorable than before due to changing laws. Understand how the contents of this decision may improve your health and how you will get the care you deserve.
1. Legal access
With the medical card, you get a legal endorsement to use cannabis. The card implies you are legally entitled to purchase these products in licensed dispensaries. This legal coverage, in return, may help you avoid the problems that would have arisen from using or possessing the same without legal sanction.
Further, most medical card holders do not face similar purchase or possession limitations as recreational users. This improved access not only improves variety but also assures you that you are within the confines of the law. This type of legal acceptance may simplify your processes and experiences.
Having a medical card may offer many benefits to the holder, the most significant being the ability to receive personalized attention. This card gives holders access to professionals familiar with their history and can recommend products that may suit the individual’s needs, preferences, and lifestyle. Such professionals may also help patients choose from various strains, different forms, and ways of consumption so that they can choose one that may be suitable for them.
At the same time, a personalized treatment plan also provides an atmosphere that encourages patients to make inquiries, raise issues, and obtain more information. This kind of tailored care may improve your overall experience. Lastly, the same may give you the empowerment and ability to make properly informed choices that enhance your confidence in what you use and your decisions.
3. Exclusive products
Many exclusive products are for medical cardholders only and may improve their experience. Getting a medical card widens the spectrum of products that are usually not given to recreational users. This also comes with special strains and formulations. For example, brands like mit therapy, which offer quality mit therapy kratom, have something for everyone. So, if you hold your medical card, you can have these specialized products that might be out of reach otherwise. This wider scope means that you get to try out different alternatives and, in the process, settle for what best serves your needs.
4. Lower costs
The ability to purchase products at lower prices is one of the primary reasons for acquiring a medical card. Usually, by having a medical card, holders may buy more products at lower prices than in the recreational market. Some dispensaries may even run loyalty programs where regular clients can receive benefits and buy products regularly at lower costs. Some parts of the world place higher taxes for recreational purposes but little or no taxes on medical products; thereby, such cards may enable holders to save more funds.
At the same time, medical cards can also be said to fix the average rates of products in the market, ensuring cardholders always receive the best possible prices.
5. Convenient renewals
You can easily renew a medical card, which is one of the most significant benefits of acquiring one. You do not have much trouble regarding the medical card you acquired once because keeping it updated is easy. Most states have set up easy online renewals, which you can do from home. This saves you from traveling to a clinic or a dispensary and saves you a lot of time and effort. Reminders are also sent quite early before your expiration date, ensuring you do not have to wait until the last minute to renew your card.
Simply put, you do not have to go without the products you need for any period. Because medical card renewal is an easy process, you can expect to have no disturbance in the supply of your products.
Having a medical card means that using quality products is practically mandatory because these products guarantee the consumer’s satisfaction. Proper medical card use allows easy access to well-trained dispensaries that maintain such standards in the cannabis products they dispense. It is common for these businesses to grow only the best strains so the user experience may improve.
In addition, when quality is valued, you are less likely to deal with numerous inferior product issues, thus providing a better overall experience. As mentioned above, there are fluctuations in terms of quality and prices. However, it is imperative to state that you should pay attention to the price of quality. Customers can select products from reputable sources and be confident that their purchase is a product that has taken time to develop and construct.
7. Peace of mind
Getting your medical card can be quite beneficial in several ways. First, it guarantees adherence to the law in your jurisdiction so that there is no worry about legal complications. That’s a nice sort of safety that allows for a more pleasing experience– knowing with certainty that you are within the legal boundaries.
Also, having a medical card enables you to buy from registered dispensaries and thus have quality and safety features in what you buy. This gives you faith in the products you are using and even the dispensaries themselves.
Wrapping Up
To conclude, getting your medical card should be treated as an important stage that will allow you to improve the experience. Thanks to the availability of a variety of products and personalized benefits, you will realize that the merits are numerous. The ease with which the renewals are made and the quality guarantee assist in easing the process. This enables the client to be sure while shopping for the services. This is a perfect opportunity to act and take advantage of the benefits of a medical card.
