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Riding while under the influence of Marijuana.

Riding under the influence of marijuana is:

  • A horrible idea.

    Votes: 392 70.6%

  • Fine as long as you wear a helmet!

    Votes: 28 5.0%

  • Ok, only if you are an experienced rider.

    Votes: 50 9.0%

  • Who cares?

    Votes: 85 15.3%
  • Total voters
    555
clutchslip said:
I will explain by example:

[Horrifyingly bad example deleted...]
Click to expand...

Uhhh...wut?


I do tech support for work...high, every day, and again at lunch most days. No trouble talking to a group of techs, directors and the CIO in a conference call right after lunch, explaining technical things to one half while explaining the best use of their resources to the other.

Taking a leadership role in the conversation, and talking to the CIO on his level, one step ahead of his business concerns.

Yes, some people can't work high. But for me, I just wouldn't be that much better at my job, if at all, and I'm already better than I'd like to be...I'm a magnet for shit jobs and pissed off customers. Like I want to talk to some angry guy who can't do his job very well sober? No thanks...But I do know some techs that can't do it stoned.

Drugs sure aren't for everyone, but neither are motorcycles.
 
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Cheyenne said:
Ok, thanks, I will:

It does affect judgment, that is the point. It makes you more conservative. Unlike alcohol, which makes you uninhibited.

So then the difference between the two, and how people tend to drive under the influence of each, is obvious.

Oh booze, you can drive hella fast WooHoo!!!!

On weed, we better be careful, there could be cops, plus, I don't want to miss the turn for the fast food place...

I still wouldn't recommend it to an inexperienced moto rider...nervous and paranoid is good when you're looking out for cops and bad car drivers, not so much when you're trying to be coordinated with the controls as you merge into freeway traffic for the first time...
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Personally, i agree with you 100%, and couldn't have said this better myself.

There are a lot of good points and valid opinions on this topic, aside from people who obviously don't know anything about the difference between weed and alcohol. Its amazing how many people think that smoking a little pot before you ride is even near the same level as drinking a couple beers (aside from eating pot food.... NOT a good idea when combined with operating heavy machinery lol).

I guess it comes down to this:

Are more crashes caused by aggressive riding, or the rider not having a good "reaction time" to the variables thrown in front of him?
 
Cheyenne said:
Uhhh...wut?
.
Click to expand...

SamEyeHamm said:
Personally, i agree with you 100%, and couldn't have said this better myself.

Are more crashes caused by aggressive riding, or the rider not having a good "reaction time" to the variables thrown in front of him?
Click to expand...
Yeah, cool dudes. You have it all together. Keep on truckin'.

I have not a freakin' clue as to what I am saying.
:thumbup
Oh, btw, you sound just like alcoholics. But, keep on truckin'.
 
clutchslip said:
Oh, btw, you sound just like alcoholics.
Click to expand...

That's funny, I was raised by an alcoholic. Think it has anything to do with the fact that I'm a drug addict?

Oh, btw, you sound just like someone in recovery. Born agains I call 'em.


Many people drink hard for a long time before they crash, and either end up sober or dead. I don't hear about that for potheads so much, but I'm sure I could end up with consequences someday.

I do have a hard time seeing how much better my life would be without it. I really don't see any upside, other than I would be able to afford a fast car, and I would be much more aggressive driving it. Hmmm...
 
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would you rather have someone stone cold sober railing at the edge of the envelope, or a stoner doing 5 under the speed limit.
 
Cheyenne said:
Uhhh...wut?


I do tech support for work...high, every day, and again at lunch most days. No trouble talking to a group of techs, directors and the CIO in a conference call right after lunch, explaining technical things to one half while explaining the best use of their resources to the other.

Taking a leadership role in the conversation, and talking to the CIO on his level, one step ahead of his business concerns.

Yes, some people can't work high. But for me, I just wouldn't be that much better at my job, if at all, and I'm already better than I'd like to be...I'm a magnet for shit jobs and pissed off customers. Like I want to talk to some angry guy who can't do his job very well sober? No thanks...But I do know some techs that can't do it stoned.

Drugs sure aren't for everyone, but neither are motorcycles.
Click to expand...


Actually I find it extremely hilarious that you brought this up.. Years ago I fired one of my technicians from too many Eff-ups on the job from his pot smoking.. He smoked up multiple times a day every day and was always completely stoned.. Sure he could function to some degree.. But it was a pretty damned limited one when compared to his sober abilities..

I finally fired his ass one day when he completely spaced out and lost a bunch of customer data .. He started crying and tried to blame the pot and say that he needed it but that he would try to cut back... The screw up was 100% caused by the pot..

So keep it up.. 8 or 10 years later and this kid is still a wasted washout stringing together pathetic "geek squad" type "tech" jobs.. Gee.. I wonder why he never made it back to the big leagues..

You know, there might be a reason why you are a magnet for shit jobs and bad customers.. In fact, in my experience, the guys who tend to string together bad jobs in IT are generally there for a reason.. Maybe the pot is clouding your own judgement of your own abilities a bit? Just a thought? Pretty much everyone I started working with 12 years ago progressed rapidly.. We all hold titled positions now at various companies.. The only two guys that didnt make it anywhere both have drugs to blame.. One is a complete stoner that always gripes about his sitaution.. The other became a heroin junkie.. Two of us eventually progressed to CIO and Directorship positions. And the other guys I started working with are all climing their own corporate ladders rather well.... No offense, but you might want to evaluate what the pot is really doing for you...

Bottom line.. Pot severely diminishes your mental faculties.. To claim it makes EVERYONE mellower is just as much a fallacy as saying every cop likes donuts..

On topic, and to defend my position, a combination of QUICK judgement calls and reflexes are necessary for the safe operation of a motorcycle.. People stoned on pot generally slow down / get paranoid because they feel they are going too fast.. A result of their BRAINS being incapable of processing information at the rate they normally can..
 
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I had friends that smoked and rode (back in the day when pot was totally weak). I picked quite a few of them off the pavement, a couple of them didn't get up. Being stoned doesn't help with the pain of road rash one least little bit as far as I could tell from those guys.
Racers that smoke before going on the track are just losers, the candle doesn't burn too long for those guys. Bad idea all around. Geeze, if you are going to be a loadie, just stay home in your Mom's basement.

Thanx, Russ
 
Cheyenne said:
I assume you don't get high? Also, I didn't say better, I said safer.
Click to expand...

I have, many times. I stopped because I wanted to have a successful career and a productive life. I would never ride high. Not only do I value my only life too much, but I wouldn't play games with the lives of others on the road around me. And I've been high enough times to know that when I'm high, I'm not a good judge of how safe or skilled I am.

My brother's a recovering alcoholic/substance abuser, so I've heard enough rationalization of this stuff to last two lifetimes.
 
I know a great rider who does, and it doesn't seem to affect him, but personally I am against taking any kind of mind-altering substances before getting on the bike.
 
Bouncer said:
Actually I find it extremely hilarious that you brought this up.. Years ago I fired one of my technicians from too many Eff-ups on the job from his pot smoking.. He smoked up multiple times a day every day and was always completely stoned.. Sure he could function to some degree.. But it was a pretty damned limited one when compared to his sober abilities..

I finally fired his ass one day when he completely spaced out and lost a bunch of customer data .. He started crying and tried to blame the pot and say that he needed it but that he would try to cut back... The screw up was 100% caused by the pot..

So keep it up.. 8 or 10 years later and this kid is still a wasted washout stringing together pathetic "geek squad" type "tech" jobs.. Gee.. I wonder why he never made it back to the big leagues..

You know, there might be a reason why you are a magnet for shit jobs and bad customers.. In fact, in my experience, the guys who tend to string together bad jobs in IT are generally there for a reason.. Maybe the pot is clouding your own judgement of your own abilities a bit? Just a thought? Pretty much everyone I started working with 12 years ago progressed rapidly.. We all hold titled positions now at various companies.. The only two guys that didnt make it anywhere both have drugs to blame.. One is a complete stoner that always gripes about his sitaution.. The other became a heroin junkie.. Two of us eventually progressed to CIO and Directorship positions. And the other guys I started working with are all climing their own corporate ladders rather well.... No offense, but you might want to evaluate what the pot is really doing for you...

Bottom line.. Pot severely diminishes your mental faculties.. To claim it makes EVERYONE mellower is just as much a fallacy as saying every cop likes donuts..

On topic, and to defend my position, a combination of QUICK judgment calls and reflexes are necessary for the safe operation of a motorcycle.. People stoned on pot generally slow down / get paranoid because they feel they are going too fast.. A result of their BRAINS being incapable of processing information at the rate they normally can..
Click to expand...

You obviously have some weird bias towards marijuana smoking, which makes your opinion on this matter seem irrelevant. There are plenty of intelligent, successful, marijuana smokers. The fact that you are using a stereotype to prove your point just makes you look like you really don't know what you are talking about. Saying "All IT guys do a crap job because they are stoned all the time" is pretty silly.

In my experience, there are no consequences to "slowing down and getting paranoid" when riding a bike. Being paranoid in it's self makes you pay attention more, and totally eliminates the whole "lack of judgment/reflexes" because you are PAYING MORE ATTENTION. Paranoia also makes you over think your situation. Seems like almost all motorcycle accidents are from people UNDER thinking their situation. Worst case scenario, you are paranoid you are going too fast while riding and you just slow down and enjoy the ride. So what? Bikes are already too fast for the street, and probably fast for most humans to handle in general. If you can take a substance that makes you chill out and not push the limits past a reasonable extent, with little to no side effects... what's the problem?

People seem to make HORRIBLE judgment calls on bikes when they are riding perfectly sober. An experienced, safe rider who gets a little high before he rides is not nearly as dangerous as a sober, over-zealous squid pumped full of testosterone and aggression.
 
Well if I had a bias TOWARDS smoking that would make me pro-marajuana....

And actually yes, I am saying that all chronic pot smokers live out their lives at an impaired level.. That is not a fallacy as any chronic drug abuse absolutely will diminsh your capacity to some degree...

I brought up some valid first hand experience I've had with potheads.. I'm not anti pot at all.... I have smoked quite a bit and certainly will again...

But anyone who runs around preaching that chronic abuse has no I'll effects on driving, riding, or the progress of their life in general needs to have a reality check...

This thread was about whether or not it was safe to smoke and ride... No matter what way you slice it, it is not safer to ride under the influence of ANYTHING than it is to ride sober.. The arguments about it mellowing you out are just rationalizations of an addiction..
 
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Bouncer said:
Actually not really.. Although they both act through different chemical methods, they both impair balance, vision, judgment, reaction times, and memory..

In fact, trying to separate the two is a much more difficult argument than lumping them together when it comes to safe operation of motor vehicles.
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im not even gonna touch this one because we severely disagree here. Yes, both impair judgment, but the degrees are so far apart i dont even wanna start down that path because i'd be up all night arguing. but i am enjoying this thread as a debate, if that makes any difference :thumbup


jroymcd said:
riding under the influence of anything is pretty much on topic.
Click to expand...

i'd disagree. Heroin? Tylenol? Both technically drugs. Totally different affects.


SM610 said:
Typically, riding stoned works great until you have a problem, and then at that point, all you can say is "Gee, I wonder if I'd be in the hospital if I wasn't stoned..."
Click to expand...

true, but you could also ask yourself the same question substituting for a lot of things there. "Gee, i wonder if i'd be in the hospital if i wasnt going as fast." or if i had enough food or water to keep me properly fueled. just sayin...
 
Bouncer said:
it is not safer to ride under the influence of ANYTHING than it is to ride sober.. The arguments about it mellowing you out are just rationalizations of an addiction..
Click to expand...

What about caffeine? Is that to say all riders who drink coffee and say it keeps them alert are just "rationalizing their addiction?"
 
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