Cabin Crew Banned From Day Off Doping

[Bede]

There a fundamental failure and disconnect here in the administration of the current regulations. The issue is that what you are stating as the half-life of cannabis, is in reality the half life of a completely non-psychotic metabolite of THC, called THC-COOH.

Obviously as a metabolite, THC would first be converted to THC-COOH, which eventually is metabolized into something else until it becomes small enough to be excreted by the kidneys. But, you haven't answered what the half life of THC actually is.

So, what we have here is not even an roughly appropriate analog for impairment, such as BAC use for gauging alcohol impairment, but rather nothing more than a passive indicator that someone has used it in the past. See the problem here?

That's a fair point, but we're not discussing the limitations of the test, we're discussing the fact that cannabis is treated the same as any other drug. It seems to come down to what the half life of THC? I still maintain that THC is treated no different than any other drug. It's pharmokinetic profile makes it less suited for recreational use than alcohol.

This next, equally illogical part comes directly from a conversation with good pilot buddy in the Canadian Space Agency, who also worked within NASA. TC's current direction on cannabis comes from the FAA, which in turn comes from NASA's research. So this is about as close as you can get from the horses mouth without being grass. (Talking over bottles of delicious, legal alcohol, no less.)

So if TC shouldn't get their guidance from the aeromedical staff at NASA, where should they get their guidance from? The family doc/bureaucrat that runs Civil Aviation Medicine? NASA seems like a pretty credible source.

THC-COOH can be stored in fat, and in an aviation incident/accident your adrenalin will spike, driving an elevated metabolism, and more of that THC-COOH will be released. This can cause a positive testing result where there would be none before.

I assume that you mean a non-fatal accident. I'd have to see the data on that. That seems difficult to believe that THC-COOH is below detectable limits and a momentary increase in serum adrenaline results in a suddenly detectable level of the metabolite.

[khedrei]

Lots of legal things are accepted in certain jobs but not others. Thats normal. Thats the way it should be.

I can indeed come up with a lot of restrictions on certain activities during ones working hours, or even just before or after. I don't know of any other restrictions in other jobs that prohibit you from legal activities for 28 days even during your own time or while off duty.

Can you give some examples?

Sure. Anti depressants, sleeping pills. Even alcohol. Tell your CAME that you binge drink on your weeks off. Let me know how it goes.

I understand the point you are trying to make but its pretty weak.

Can you give me an example of someone who go fired for smoking 28 days before and nothing since that day?

I dont know any dope smokers that smoke that infrequently.