Amsterdam - what is the issue with legal requirements for driving when you come back?

euser1984

I'm not even sure if I will take anything at all over there? what do you think?
One of the main things I would like to ask though is, how long would it take to be able to drive safely when you come back? and what would happen if a garda tested positive for it when you did come back, after you feeling as though you were safe to drive again.
Thank you very much

tcawley29

euser1984 wrote: »

I'm not even sure if I will take anything at all over there? what do you think?
One of the main things I would like to ask though is, how long would it take to be able to drive safely when you come back? and what would happen if a garda tested positive for it when you did come back, after you feeling as though you were safe to drive again.
Thank you very much

If you fail the test then the garda will penalize you for it. I don't see there being any exceptions here.

Idleater

euser1984 wrote: »

I'm not even sure if I will take anything at all over there? what do you think?

I think that the laws surrounding what I think you are alluding to have been updated to make them only legal with a Dutch id card. In other words it's as illegal as here for non citizens. Not that you can't buy anything, it's just like here, possession/supply.... if caught.

Not that that helps with what I think your actual question was.

wonski

Idleater wrote: »

I think that the laws surrounding what I think you are alluding to have been updated to make them only legal with a Dutch id card. In other words it's as illegal as here for non citizens. Not that you can't buy anything, it's just like here, possession/supply.... if caught.

Not that that helps with what I think your actual question was.

I can assure you that you can legally buy and smoke weed in Amsterdam as Irish citizen

griffdaddy

Weed isn't legal for anyone in the Netherlands, it's decriminalised. In border regions you need Dutch Id or a residence card to purchase it. In Amsterdam anyone can buy up to 5 grams. The gardai couldn't give less of a fck where you get it - if it's in your system it's in your system. Their guidelines are 24hours. Realistically I'd say 15 but that's neither legal nor medical advice.

euser1984

griffdaddy wrote: »

Weed isn't legal for anyone in the Netherlands, it's decriminalised. In border regions you need Dutch Id or a residence card to purchase it. In Amsterdam anyone can buy up to 5 grams. The gardai couldn't give less of a fck where you get it - if it's in your system it's in your system. Their guidelines are 24hours. Realistically I'd say 15 but that's neither legal nor medical advice.

may i ask where you got your figures from?

i've looked up that device they use for the testing and it seems it can detect anything up to 30 days previous in your saliva....marketing aside but it can't be that looney to advertise such a high figure? i mean you would at least expect to get 15 days if there saying that.

euser1984

Idleater wrote: »

I think that the laws surrounding what I think you are alluding to have been updated to make them only legal with a Dutch id card. In other words it's as illegal as here for non citizens. Not that you can't buy anything, it's just like here, possession/supply.... if caught.

Not that that helps with what I think your actual question was.

that didn't work out in the end i'm afraid....but the amsterdam government must intake a lot of money from the tourism trade

tossy

euser1984 wrote: »

that didn't work out in the end i'm afraid....but the amsterdam government must intake a lot of money from the tourism trade

Probably about as much as the Irish government do from people coming over here to drink on stags etc.

wonski

We use similar, if not the same, Drager system at work and it is generally OK to catch people who just smoked or smoked heavily the day before.

Regular smokers, who refuse to call themselves addicts, can be detected more often.

Many who had a joint the day before were never detected.

Generally if it shows cannabis in your saliva, it was very recent experience, I dare to say few hours, unless you smoke a lot (and you shouldn't of course).

Idleater

euser1984 wrote: »

that didn't work out in the end i'm afraid....but the amsterdam government must intake a lot of money from the tourism trade

Yeah, i just remember thinking it sounds good but... The article I read though said that the argument was tourists taking weed etc. spent less than "normal" tourists.

wexie

Idleater wrote: »

Yeah, i just remember thinking it sounds good but... The article I read though said that the argument was tourists taking weed etc. spent less than "normal" tourists.

Not even sure it was ever even implemented. Most of Amsterdam's inner city spoke out. The argument wasn't even so much that it would kill the tourist trade (Revenue very quickly pointed out to them that the tax take from the coffeeshops suggested that business wasn't all that great after which the coffeeshop owners realized they needed to change the subject pretty quickly) but that a policy like that would undo all the hard work of getting drug dealing off the streets and cleaning up the city.

griffdaddy

euser1984 wrote: »

may i ask where you got your figures from?

i've looked up that device they use for the testing and it seems it can detect anything up to 30 days previous in your saliva....marketing aside but it can't be that looney to advertise such a high figure? i mean you would at least expect to get 15 days if there saying that.

I can't remember off the top of my head but I think the gardai themselves may have said it at the time the tests started - otherwise as mentioned it could be detected for days after and it would water down the whole idea of catching people if they'd smoke ages before and were getting in trouble

euser1984

wexie wrote: »

Not even sure it was ever even implemented. Most of Amsterdam's inner city spoke out. The argument wasn't even so much that it would kill the tourist trade (Revenue very quickly pointed out to them that the tax take from the coffeeshops suggested that business wasn't all that great after which the coffeeshop owners realized they needed to change the subject pretty quickly) but that a policy like that would undo all the hard work of getting drug dealing off the streets and cleaning up the city.

there probably was an big element of PR, after the young chinese or japanese tourist jumped off the bridge after taking magic mushrooms a good few years ago

sexmag

Look at it this way,if you got off a plane from the UK after drinking over there,how long would you wait before driving?

wexie

euser1984 wrote: »

there probably was an big element of PR, after the young chinese or japanese tourist jumped off the bridge after taking magic mushrooms a good few years ago

That's happened a few times with different nationalities. Usually it's all over the front pages and then a few weeks later when the tox results come back you read they were full of drugs of all kinds.

With regards mushrooms (I believe) the law is currently they can't be sold dried. Something to do with the amount of active ingredient per gram. Still perfectly legal to sell fresh undried ones though.

It's an odd little country.

wonski

Their law proposals had nothing to do with death of a tourist. We are going ot here anyway but I guess Ireland has more suicidal cases than the odd little country we talk about.

Moderate use of class c drugs is just a norm there. Tourists were becoming an issue for residents for many reasons.

euser1984

wexie wrote: »

That's happened a few times with different nationalities. Usually it's all over the front pages and then a few weeks later when the tox results come back you read they were full of drugs of all kinds.

With regards mushrooms (I believe) the law is currently they can't be sold dried. Something to do with the amount of active ingredient per gram. Still perfectly legal to sell fresh undried ones though.

It's an odd little country.

it might be odd but it's certainly fascinating...they have very unique technologies over there for irrigation (certainly for reclaiming land anyway), Ireland needs to develop ideas to grow plants under drought conditions. IMO, perhaps it has helped Ireland get Vera Twomeys daughter what she needed? Any thoughts?

euser1984

wonski wrote: »

Their law proposals had nothing to do with death of a tourist. We are going ot here anyway but I guess Ireland has more suicidal cases than the odd little country we talk about.

Moderate use of class c drugs is just a norm there. Tourists were becoming an issue for residents for many reasons.

It is going off topic but there are problems in ireland with the media at the moment.

About 10k people commit suicide in Ireland every year and I don't believe much has been printed about it???? certainly not responsibility taken by the government.

there are charity organisations trying to deal with this problem. Unfortunately i view these charities as a hidden tax; that does not mean to say I don't help though.

wonski

euser1984 wrote: »

It is going off topic but there are problems in ireland with the media at the moment.

About 10k people commit suicide in Ireland every year and I don't believe much has been printed about it; certainly not responsibility taken by the government.

there are charity organisations trying to deal with this problem. Unfortunately i view these charities as a hidden tax; that does not mean to say I don't help though.

I stand corrected actually as I just checked 2014 figures and both Ireland and Netherlands have hit 11/10000 which is 11 to many obviously.

Sorry mods, ran ot completely now, but wanted to clarify in case one comes along and rips my previous post apart...

deco nate

Is this thread about smoking a spliff and how long before it shows up on a roadside test?

Or Wtf?

Yes I'd like to know how long between smoking and testing is safe, but I don't think the guards have specified the limits. Or how it really is tested and judged by the police.
Good question

wonski

deco nate wrote: »

Is this thread about smoking a spliff and how long before it shows up on a roadside test?

Or Wtf?

Yes I'd like to know how long between smoking and testing is safe, but I don't think the guards have specified the limits. Or how it really is tested and judged by the police.
Good question

Good question, but there is no good answer unfortunately.

Unlike alcohol, there is no specific limit or measurement of thc content in blood or urine.

As I said before Drager test I have used would not show an occasional smoker having a joint a day before. Some heavy users also got away despite smoking the day before.

I highly doubt there is a 30 or 15 days detection, more like few hours from what I have seen.

However I don't know what Gardai does if the roadside test fails, urine and blood tests can be way more precise and can show use over longer time, but again as there is no limit you can possibly be done for just having it in your system.

deco nate

wonski wrote: »

Good question, but there is no good answer unfortunately.

Unlike alcohol, there is no specific limit or measurement of thc content in blood or urine.

As I said before Drager test I have used would not show an occasional smoker having a joint a day before. Some heavy users also got away despite smoking the day before.

I highly doubt there is a 30 or 15 days detection, more like few hours from what I have seen.

However I don't know what Gardai does if the roadside test fails, urine and blood tests can be way more precise and can show use over longer time, but again as there is no limit you can possibly be done for just having it in your system.

Thank you for your reply, that's the thing I don't understand. Thc can stay in your system for days(rare user) yet if tested can show up, but you are not under the influence. From what I've read it's very vague

euser1984

deco nate wrote: »

Is this thread about smoking a spliff and how long before it shows up on a roadside test?

Or Wtf?

Yes I'd like to know how long between smoking and testing is safe, but I don't think the guards have specified the limits. Or how it really is tested and judged by the police.
Good question

it comes across to me as a great way to stop people from smoking it at all aka some regulation of the drug usage? pehaps a consequential opening here unless you are more creative with your ideas.

This device they use says it can detect it for up to 30 days. With that equipment I'm becoming less inclined to believe this is bullsh*it marketing.

so, the cops know people have been smoking if these devices are setup properly

wonski

euser1984 wrote: »

it comes across to me as a great way to stop people from smoking it at all aka some regulation of the drug usage? pehaps a consequential opening here unless you are more creative with your ideas.

This device they use says it can detect it for up to 30 days. With that equipment I'm becoming less inclined to believe this is bullsh*it marketing.

so, the cops know people have been smoking if these devices are setup properly

The cops know only the reading of the test they do.
Nothing else.
To prove one was under influence further samples, be it urine or blood, need to be taken. That's how it's done in private sector. I only assume that's how it should be processed by Gardai.

Where I work the employee would be sent to the company doctor and leave samples there. He would be paid and depending on the test results he would be suspended and fully paid for set period of time, or given an oral warning and fully paid and no matter what he scored would be back in less than 2 weeks and be tested again within few weeks.

From my own experience (and discussions with other staff) if you get caught on saliva tests, you must have done some smoking shortly before the test.

I am not talking about other opiates, cocaine etc
as none of us would admit doing it... Or doing it at all.

deco nate

wonski wrote: »

The cops know only the reading of the test they do.
Nothing else.
To prove one was under influence further samples, be it urine or blood, need to be taken. That's how it's done in private sector. I only assume that's how it should be processed by Gardai.

Where I work the employee would be sent to the company doctor and leave samples there. He would be paid and depending on the test results he would be suspended and fully paid for set period of time, or given an oral warning and fully paid and no matter what he scored would be back in less than 2 weeks and be tested again within few weeks.

From my own experience (and discussions with other staff) if you get caught on saliva tests, you must have done some smoking shortly before the test.

I am not talking about other opiates, cocaine etc
as none of us would admit doing it... Or doing it at all.

Yea, only asking about smoking weed. And thank you for your replys.
Other replys went way ot.

wonski

deco nate wrote: »

Yea, only asking about smoking weed. And thank you for your replys.
Other replys went way ot.

Including mine

Something to bear in mind - if you are a professional driver or working in area where drug use can affect your future prospects stay away from anything that could take you down.
While we all feel a need to do things our way, there are some jobs where drugs, no matter how innocent they appear to be, can affect future prospects or cause loss of license etc.

My opinion of Drager tests are only based on what I have seen and been told, all bodies are different.

Those tests are easy enough to cheat I guess given that we were forbidden one specific fruit in the canteen because it could affect the results

euser1984

wonski wrote: »

The cops know only the reading of the test they do.
Nothing else.
To prove one was under influence further samples, be it urine or blood, need to be taken. That's how it's done in private sector. I only assume that's how it should be processed by Gardai.

Where I work the employee would be sent to the company doctor and leave samples there. He would be paid and depending on the test results he would be suspended and fully paid for set period of time, or given an oral warning and fully paid and no matter what he scored would be back in less than 2 weeks and be tested again within few weeks.

From my own experience (and discussions with other staff) if you get caught on saliva tests, you must have done some smoking shortly before the test.

I am not talking about other opiates, cocaine etc
as none of us would admit doing it... Or doing it at all.

human nature is self destructive and use technologies in ways they were never intended.

the cops know - it's as simple as that - you just haven't measured the reading where they have to do anything, but your probably taken note of; in fact i would be surprised if it wasn't. whether it's documented or not i have no idea.

i think the urine test is mainly for finding something that the saliva test sees but can't identify it, based on an article from a red top.

Eric Cartman

48 hours before driving and a good nights sleep and youll almost certainly be fine against a roadside test

Victor

euser1984 wrote: »

About 10k people commit suicide in Ireland every year

Only about 30,000 people die in Ireland per year total and recorded (likely under-reported) suicides are the order of 500 per year. Are you saying 33% of deaths are suicide?

https://www.cso.ie/multiquicktables/quickTables.aspx?id=vsa02_vsa09_vsa18
https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/birthsdeathsandmarriages/suicidestatistics/

Henry Ford III

I think it would be unwise to drive after getting boxed for a couple of days.

euser1984

Victor wrote: »

Only about 30,000 people die in Ireland per year total and recorded (likely under-reported) suicides are the order of 500 per year. Are you saying 33% of deaths are suicide?

https://www.cso.ie/multiquicktables/quickTables.aspx?id=vsa02_vsa09_vsa18
https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/birthsdeathsandmarriages/suicidestatistics/

I really have to wise myself up a little and start checking my facts first. I will say though that I think it is possible...check out pieta house...they can't give figures for how many suicides they prevent obviously.

I have only heard of a few and never met anyone with lung cancer but there are about 5000 of them in the country, again, i believe at this moment in time. saw it upfront in beaumont though