California Smoker/Drivers "Were Screwed"

[imagoober]

Heres a letter i recieved earlier today for NORML explaining whats will probably happen! and how to help stop it!

From NORML.ORG:

California Considers Dangerous 'Drugged Driving' Bill

Take Action Now!

Dear Friend,

NORML is writing you today to alert you of an unnecessary and potentially dangerous bill before the state Assembly.

Assembly Bill 2673, an act to amend Section 23152 of the California Vehicle Code, seeks to punish marijuana consumers including legally protected medicinal cannabis patients who operate a motor vehicle with any "measurable amount" of THC in their blood, even when the individual is, potentially, neither under the influence nor impaired to drive.

We all support the goal of keeping impaired drivers off the road, regardless of whether the driver is impaired from alcohol or other drugs. However, AB 2673 is poorly drafted, and seeks to create a new, driving-related offense that is divorced from driver impairment.

Assembly Bill 2673 seeks to make it a criminal offense in California for any person to operate a motor vehicle if any measurable level of THC, an active compound in marijuana, is present in their blood. Because THC may remain detectable at low levels in the blood of heavy cannabis users for up to 1-2 days after past use, and perhaps even longer if more sensitive testing technology is used, this legislation risks improperly criminalizing sober drivers as if they were intoxicated. Someone who smokes marijuana is impaired as a driver at most for a few hours; certainly not for one or two days. To treat all marijuana smokers as if they are impaired, even when the drug's effects have long worn off, is illogical and unfair.

In addition, California already has effect-based laws on the books targeting and prosecuting drivers who operate a motor vehicle "under the influence" of illicit drugs. Under Section 23152 of California's Vehicle Code, motorists face up to six months in jail if they drive "under the influence of a drug." By contrast, AB 2673 seeks to create a new crime of "drugged driving" that is divorced from impairment, and that would jail motorists for simply having consumed an illicit substance at some prior, unspecified date.

That is why NORML is asking you today to contact members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, which will be holding hearings on this measure on Tuesday, April 4, and tell them that you oppose AB 2673. For your convenience, contact information for the Committee and a pre-written letter opposing AB 2673 is included below.

Sincerely,
Paul Armentano
Senior Policy Analyst
NORML | NORML Foundation



Assembly Public Safety Committee http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/newco...p?committee=57

Leno, Mark (Chair)
State Capitol Room 3146
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2013
[email protected]

La Suer, Jay (Vice Chair)
State Capitol Room 5160
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2077
[email protected]

Cohn, Rebecca
State Capitol Room 3160
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2024
[email protected]

Dymally, Mervyn
State Capitol Room 3132
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2052
[email protected]

Goldberg, Jackie
State Capitol Room 2003
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2045
[email protected]

Sptizer, Todd
State Capitol Room 2111
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2071
[email protected]


Dear Assemblymember ____________,

I am writing you today to urge you to reject Assembly Bill 2673, an act to amend Section 23152 of the California Vehicle Code.

We all support the goal of keeping impaired drivers off the road, regardless of whether the driver is impaired from alcohol or other drugs. However, AB 2673 is poorly drafted, and seeks to create a new, driving-related offense that is divorced from driver impairment. If passed, this measure would potentially criminalize cannabis consumers including those tens of thousands of patients who use cannabis in accordance with state law who operate a motor vehicle, even when the individual is neither under the influence nor impaired to drive.

Assembly Bill 2673 seeks to make it a criminal offense in California for any person to operate a motor vehicle if any measurable level of THC, an active compound in marijuana, is present in their blood. Because THC may remain detectable at low levels in the blood of heavy cannabis users for up to 1-2 days after past use, and perhaps even longer if more sensitive testing technology is used, this legislation risks improperly criminalizing sober drivers as if they were intoxicated. Someone who smokes marijuana is impaired as a driver at most for a few hours; certainly not for one or two days. To treat all marijuana smokers as if they are impaired, even when the drug's effects have long worn off, is illogical and unfair.

In addition, California already has effect-based laws on the books targeting and prosecuting drivers who operate a motor vehicle "under the influence" of illicit drugs. Under Section 23152 of California¹s Vehicle Code, motorists face up to six months in jail if they drive "under the influence of a drug." By contrast, AB 2673 seeks to create a new crime of "drugged driving" that is divorced from impairment and that would jail motorists for simply having consumed an illicit substance at some prior, unspecified date. While Californians certainly do not wish to condone illegal drug use, it's also clear that this proposal seeks to misuse the state's traffic-safety laws to target illicit drug use in general. In short, there is no need for this additional legislation.

Lastly, it's premature for California lawmakers to be considering the establishment of zero tolerance "drugged driving" thresholds when legislative action on this matter is pending from Congress. Before the close of 2006, the US Department of Transportation and US Department of Health and Human Services will be issuing to Congress "recommendations for developing a model statute for states relating to drug impaired driving," including:
- "Threshold levels of impairment for illicit drugs";
- "Practicable methods for detecting the presence of illegal drugs";
- "Penalties for drug impaired driving."

At a minimum, the California Legislature should wait until Congress has weighed in on this issue before moving forward with this poorly drafted legislation.

While driving under the influence of illicit and licit substances is obviously a serious problem, AB 2673 neither addresses the problem nor offers a legitimate solution. Therefore, I urge you to reject AB 2673.

Sincerely,

Your Name

That is very disturbing!

imagoober Reviewed by imagoober on 03-31-2006. California Smoker/Drivers "Were Screwed" Heres a letter i recieved earlier today for NORML explaining whats will probably happen! and how to help stop it! From NORML.ORG: California Considers Dangerous 'Drugged Driving' Bill Take Action Now! Dear Friend, Rating: 5

[Toker4LifeVT]

not good...

[SyR1S]

thats why im proud to not live in the u.s

[IanCurtisWishlist]

yeah fuck that, i'm going to canada.

[Hollandica]

wow, i hoep you guys reject that or you're proper fucked. cops would be able to get you any time :|

[LIP]

Ahhh.... i love England... Seeds aint ilegal, bongs and pipes arnt, small amounts of weed arnt, weathers shit tho.... but also many many good things, and wear i live i get a fair amount of skunk smuggled in from Holland so i have a good weed supply... mainly K2 or super skunk or Northern Lights.... i like to stick with them 3... or i like to get some hash and make a hash and green coctail joint

[pabloescobar209]

wow, i hoep you guys reject that or you're proper fucked. cops would be able to get you any time :|

See it may seem that way on paper, but if you would read the immigration laws you would think nobody could get here...

[imagoober]

Dear Friends:

NORML is pleased to inform you that Assembly Bill 2673, Californiaâ??s
proposed â??zero toleranceâ?� drugged driving bill, was rejected by the
Assembly Public Safety Committee yesterday. A majority of the Committee
agreed it is not in the best interest of California citizens to
criminally
punish cannabis consumers â?? including legally protected medicinal
cannabis
patients â?? who operate a motor vehicle with any â??measurable amountâ?� of
THC
in their blood, even in cases when the individual is neither under the
influence nor impaired to drive.

NORML representatives testified before the Committee in opposition to
AB
2673, stating that the proposed â??zero toleranceâ?� standard is
scientifically unjustified, and that this measure would improperly
criminalize tens of thousands of state medical cannabis users. National
NORML also submitted public comments to the Committee, which were
included
in the Committee record, opposing the bill.

If passed, Assembly Bill 2673 would have made it a criminal offense in
California for any person to operate a motor vehicle if any measurable
level of THC, an active compound in marijuana, was present in their
blood.
Because THC may remain detectable at low levels in the blood of heavy
cannabis users for up to 1-2 days after past use, and perhaps even
longer
if more sensitive testing technology is used, this legislation risked
improperly criminalizing sober drivers as if they were intoxicated.
Fortunately, a majority of the Committee agreed with NORMLâ??s stance and
rejected this unnecessary and troublesome proposal.

NORML would like to take this time to thank you for contacting the
Public
Safety Committee and urging them to reject AB 2673. Due in part to your
efforts, cannabis consumers and patients will not face additional and
unnecessary criminal sanctions in California.

Sincerely,

Paul Armentano
NORML Senior Policy Analyst

[Psycho4Bud]

In Wisconsin ANY marijuana conviction comes with a 6 month loss of license! I was sitting in my own home, not driving impaired, and lost mine!