Pubdate: Thu, 18 Apr 2013
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

DRIVING WHILE (NOT) HIGH

What's this I hear about California trying to pass a law making
driving with any amount of THC in your bloodstream a
driving-under-the-influence offense? Can they even do that?

- -Wanda the Wonderer

They are going to try. California Sen. Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) has
introduced Senate Bill 289, which makes driving with any amount of a
nonprescription drug in your system a DUI. And I quote from Section 2,
subsection of of the proposed legislation:

"It is unlawful for a person to drive a vehicle if his or her blood
contains any detectable amount of a drug classified in Schedule I, II,
III, or IV under the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act
(Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety
Code), unless the drug was consumed in accordance with a valid
prescription issued to the person by a licensed health care
practitioner."

Since cannabis is a Schedule I drug, according to both the feds and
the state, it cannot be prescribed, only recommended. So, if this law
passes, anyone driving with any amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or
THC, in their blood is automatically guilty of being under the influence.

This is, of course, BS. The effects of marijuana usually wear off in
about three hours, but THC can linger in your body's system for weeks.
So, if you smoked a joint on Friday and got pulled over Monday, you
could still be found guilty of a DUI.

When this bill was first introduced in February, no one thought it had
a chance. But it's since picked up steam and is now headed to the
California Senate Public Safety Committee for a hearing on April 23.

What can you do to stop this? I'm glad you asked. Besides the usual
emailing, calling and faxing to your representatives, you can also
attend a rally planned for the Capitol building the same day of the
hearing. The rally, supported and sponsored by pot activists such as
the Sacramento and California NORML chapters and Law Enforcement
Against Prohibition, will start at 11 a.m. near the 12th and N streets
entrance of the state Capitol. For more information, email event
organizer Ron Mullins  or Sacramento NORML
director Bob Bowerman This brings up an interesting point. How do I say this? I find it very
interesting that while California is clearly on the cusp of
marijuana-law reform that would keep thousands of people from going to
jail, this bill would find a way to put cannabis users in jail even if
they weren't driving under the influence. You wouldn't even have to be
in possession of marijuana to go to jail under this bill. Why would
someone even try to get this bill passed? Are there perhaps some
people in California that have a vested interest in keeping our jails
full of nonviolent, hard-working people? Hmm.
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MAP posted-by: Matt