URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n730/a06.html
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Votes: 0
Pubdate: Fri, 30 Dec 2016
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Times
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Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: John Myers
CALIFORNIA NEEDS A SPECIFIC BAN ON SMOKING POT WHILE DRIVING, THESE LAWMAKERS SAY
Two state legislators say Californians might think it’s illegal to smoke marijuana while driving, but that there’s no specific ban on the practice in state law.
Assemblyman Evan Low ( D-Campbell ) and Sen. Jerry Hill ( D-San Mateo ) said Thursday that they’ll introduce legislation to close what they call a loophole.
The lawmakers said Proposition 64, the state’s new law legalizing marijuana, allows a citation for having an open container of marijuana in a vehicle. But, they said, it doesn’t expressly ban the use of the drug while driving.
“This legislation makes our laws for smoking [marijuana] while driving consistent with drinking while driving,” Hill said in a written statement.
The bill, which will be introduced next week, would make a driver’s marijuana use a traffic infraction. Its authors said the bill would allow a judge the option to consider the offense either an infraction or a misdemeanor.
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