The green laser is more powerful than the ones you speak of.
Its a specialty product primarily used at night by folks with an astronomical bent as it actually sends a beam of light upwards into the sky that looks as if you are pointing at a star on the heavens.
It can damage vision and it certainly affects night vision and should not be pointed at anyones eyes.
Thanks to numbnuts like this guy its use is already covered under some portion of the patriot act, or at least thats the warning I received with mine.
The laser you are describing is what is known as a 1/2 wave NdYAG laser. Yes, they are very dangerous if mis-used.