Driver allegedly smoking pot hits pedestrian at Gresham crosswalk (Legalized Oregon)

Oregonian ^ | 10/05/2015 | Jeff Manning

[aimhigh]

Gresham Police say a driver suspected of smoking marijuana slammed his Toyota Prius into a 46-year-old Portland woman at a Gresham intersection Monday sending the woman flying 35 feet.

The collision took place at 8:09 a.m. at the intersection of East Burnside Street and Northeast 181st Avenue. The woman, who Gresham Police did not identify, was attempting to cross Burnside on a marked crosswalk. The accident comes just just five days after retail recreational marijuana sales became legal in Oregon.

[ConservingFreedom]

But it certainly doesn't mean that one intoxicating substance should be legal while a less addictive intoxicating substance is illegal.

Nether should be "legal." By the way Prohibition did work. America in the late 18th and early 19th was heavily into alcoholic beverages. Children would carry around "toddies" of rum nursing them the entire day. Drunkenness was quite common. The temperance movement stared in the 1840's-(the longest running play in American history was "The Drunkard.")-and it worked, yes Carrie Nation had a beneficial effect. America sobered up.

I noticed the bait-and-switch there, from Prohibition - which began in 1922 - to Carrie Nation - who died in 1911. I don't doubt that social pressure and public awareness sobered up America; the same approach should be taken with other intoxicants.

Now as to the silly remark that we cannot allow alcohol but suppress drugs has a multitude of hidden premises. Besides we discriminate in the application of criminal law all the time; i.e. Petty Theft is not treated the same as killing while lying in wait, killing by torture.

Punishing a more serious crime harder than a less serious one makes perfect sense ... making one intoxicating substance legal while a less addictive intoxicating substance (that is, pot) is illegal is the opposite and nonsensical.

[ConservingFreedom]

Government has done a fair job of legislating that subset of morality that says "don't violate the rights of others" - for example, two out of three murders get solved. Government has an abysmal track record when it comes to preventing immorality conducted among consenting adults, and has done a great deal of harm in the attempt.

Murders getting solved is not the same as preventing murders.

All else being equal, the deterrent effect of after-the-fact punishment increases as the likelihood of that punishment being imposed increases.

[ConservingFreedom]

Nether should be "legal."

Why the quotation marks? Do you favor some semi-legal status for alcohol?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I used quotes as the typical druggie wants the substance “Legal.”

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Evidence is accumulating that pot is NOT less harmless. It is addictive and does lead to stronger drug abuse. There is social harm in drug use both for the user and the poor Oregon victim of the pot heads driving. Once again one commands the druggie one does not “debate” with them.

[ican'tbelieveit]

The only people that laws matter to are people who have a moral foundation to begin with.

That is why gun control laws don’t work and gun crimes increase in countries/regions with strict gun control laws. Only law abiding/moral people comply.

If you do not have a moral foundation, are not driven by your morals, then no law in the world, no consequence in the world, is going to impact you.

[ConservingFreedom]

Evidence is accumulating that pot is NOT less harmless. It is addictive

Alcohol is more so; of all those who have used alcohol, 15% have at some time been dependent, whereas the corresponding figure for pot is a substantially lower 9%.

and does lead to stronger drug abuse.

Pot use and alcohol use chronologically precede stronger drug use - no difference there.

[ConservingFreedom]

Government has done a fair job of legislating that subset of morality that says "don't violate the rights of others" - for example, two out of three murders get solved. Government has an abysmal track record when it comes to preventing immorality conducted among consenting adults, and has done a great deal of harm in the attempt. [...] All else being equal, the deterrent effect of after-the-fact punishment increases as the likelihood of that punishment being imposed increases.

The only people that laws matter to are people who have a moral foundation to begin with.

Also those amoral people who fear they might actually get caught - which is a much more real fear for real crimes with actual victims than it is for "crimes" involving only willing participants.

[ConservingFreedom]

pot is NOT less harmless

I totally agree.

[TheStickman]

The body count for irresponsible behavior is endless. Be it it texting while driving, drinking while driving, driving while drunk, driving while smoking pot, driving while high, driving under the influence of prescribed medication and on & on *& on...leads to people committing crimes & people getting hurt.

As someone who uses cannibis for a medical issue (thank you, Lord!), I can assure you the last thing I am going to do while high is operate a motor vehicle. It’s dangerous, stupid and makes me liable personally & legally to all sorts of madness.

Pot being legal didn’t make this kid do something stupid. Peace :)

[gundog]

And the Prius is deadly silent. I call them Cat Killers.