Toke to throttle rule?
02-14-2015, 04:40 AM
#61
Banned
Joined APC: May 2014
Position: Tom’s Whipping boy.
Posts: 1,182
As a Libertarian I support the legalization (regulated) of all substances, however I still strongly favor a no tolerance policy for those substances in specific employment fields. For that reason, I do not agree the legalization will automatically translate into approval. At least I sure hope I'm right.
As a Libertarian, you are stuck with a dichotomic choice on this. I too am in favor of de-criminalizing the personal use of this stuff. However as a Libertarian your true support should go to the choice of the employer determining it's use.
Understandably, since the Federal Gov holds your license to operate an airplane, they have some right to limit it as well. The depth of that limit should be the providers of the air service to whom the customer pays.
They wouldn't be relaxing the rules, merely aligning the two together.
Our current obsession with marijuana is a direct result from a successful fear-mongering disinformation campaign waged in the earlier part of the previous century against hemp; not because people were worried about the health effects from smoking it, but because hemp was kicking cotton and paper's @s$. Nothing more.
Our current obsession with marijuana is a direct result from a successful fear-mongering disinformation campaign waged in the earlier part of the previous century against hemp; not because people were worried about the health effects from smoking it, but because hemp was kicking cotton and paper's @s$. Nothing more.
Some things never change.
02-14-2015, 09:28 AM
#62
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,808
Your argument earlier was that pilots should never be allowed to use recreational cannabis. If a reliable test can be developed for cannabis and it is tested in the same way that alcohol is currently tested, why should pilots be prohibited from using a legal substance during their time off?
I'm not sure why you keep bringing up opiates and meth. Comparing cannabis to opiates and meth is like comparing alcohol to opiates and meth. It's ridiculous.. Opiates and meth have no place in this discussion as they are not currently being seriously considered for legalization.
I'm not sure why you keep bringing up opiates and meth. Comparing cannabis to opiates and meth is like comparing alcohol to opiates and meth. It's ridiculous.. Opiates and meth have no place in this discussion as they are not currently being seriously considered for legalization.
Today, pot is as illegal as meth or heroin for pilots and my comparison to those drugs is simply to illustrate that cannabinoids affect the body and brain differently than legal alcohol, (just like meth and heroin also have different effects).
To show that pot is socially accepted is easy, it is, no doubt. To show that pilots can ingest THC and still provide the same level of safety as they do today will be the burden of proof for it's proponents. It's not just the feds that will need to be convinced, but airlines, aircraft owners, insurance underwriters, and lastly - the traveling public.
Proponents face a huge uphill battle and I'm convinced that using the logic of "it's socially accepted at the state level" will not be a winning argument.
02-15-2015, 11:34 PM
#63
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 177
First off, this entire discussion is based upon the theoretical situation of cannabis being legalized nationwide at some point. If and when that happens, the argument for pilots to use cannabis recreationally is extremely straight forward once a test is developed to determine whether or not somebody is currently under the influence of cannabis. The current test for THC goes back 30 days, whereas the the breathalyzer test for alcohol only shows if the individual is currently under the influence. The test for THC should be the same. Your argument earlier was that pilots should never be allowed to use recreational cannabis. If a reliable test can be developed for cannabis and it is tested in the same way that alcohol is currently tested, why should pilots be prohibited from using a legal substance during their time off?
I'm not sure why you keep bringing up opiates and meth. Comparing cannabis to opiates and meth is like comparing alcohol to opiates and meth. It's ridiculous.. Opiates and meth have no place in this discussion as they are not currently being seriously considered for legalization.
I'm not sure why you keep bringing up opiates and meth. Comparing cannabis to opiates and meth is like comparing alcohol to opiates and meth. It's ridiculous.. Opiates and meth have no place in this discussion as they are not currently being seriously considered for legalization.
The point about Opiates is interesting. Those who have surgery or an accident are often given opiates. During the period of opiate intoxication of course, they are too wacked to do anything. Most do not become addicts. All are back to flying after some prescribed period if time. What about Cannabis? Is there something about it that makes it worse than powerful anethestic opiates, even months after the Cannabis is ingested?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
02-16-2015, 03:42 AM
#64
On Reserve
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Posts: 22
If you dont drink, then all of your stories suck and end with, And then I got home...
-Jim Jefferies
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
02-16-2015, 04:29 AM
#65
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,808
The point about Opiates is interesting. Those who have surgery or an accident are often given opiates. During the period of opiate intoxication of course, they are too wacked to do anything. Most do not become addicts. All are back to flying after some prescribed period if time. What about Cannabis? Is there something about it that makes it worse than powerful anethestic opiates, even months after the Cannabis is ingested?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The question is; can pilots ingest THC recreationally and long term without reducing the margins of public safety? The argument that voters in some states have adopted recreational pot, therefore pilots licensed at the federal level should be allowed to get high is a weak one.
Proponents of recreational pot for pilots have the burden of proof that it's safe. They don't have to prove anything to me, but the FAA and the DOT are different stories.
02-18-2015, 08:55 PM
#68
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,388
We all know peeps who smoked a lot in HS, and none of them turned out well.
I'm Ok with legalization but employers (and regulators) need the retain the right to discriminate since THC is incompatible with safety-sensitive jobs.
02-19-2015, 06:09 AM
#70
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,363
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
