Medical marijuana states have been struggling with how to deal with drivers increasingly under the influence of cannabis.
It's a tricky issue because weed is hard to detect. But as the state reported last year that nearly a third of California road crashes involved drugged drivers, one California legislator is proposing a "zero tolerance" policy for those caught behind the wheel with any amount of pot in their systems:
Sen. Lou Correa, a Santa Ana Democrat, announced this week that he has
introduced SB 289, which would allow cops to slap you with a DUI if you
have even a trace of cannabis in your system.
Of course, all you faithful LA Weekly readers who have ever straightened up in anticipation of a drug test for a prospective job know that weed can stay in your system for two, three weeks and beyond, at which point you're far from stoned.
A DUI for weed you smoked last month? Yep. According to a statement from Correa's office:
SB 289 would join 17 other states and make it illegal for a person to drive a vehicle if his or her blood contains any detectable amount of Schedule I, II, III or IV drugs.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs would be excepted. Medical marijuana would not, a Correa aide confirmed to the Weekly.
Correa:
Driving under the influence of illegal drugs is dangerous and cannot be tolerated. Creating a zero tolerance drugged driving policy will equip law enforcement with the tools needed to keep our communities and roads safe.
Americans for Safe Access, a marijuana decriminalization group, will not tolerate this bill, however.
Spokesman Kris Hermes told the Weekly this:
... We strongly oppose a bill that would criminalize the entire patient population of California, hundreds of thousands of people would be at risk without necessarily being impaired.
He said the organization was lobbying Correa for an exception that would apply to legal medical cannabis users:
We are working to try and carve out an exception in the bill for qualified medical marijuana patients, but unless we can do so we strongly oppose the legislation as it stands.
Note here that at least one other California legislator has tried a zero-tolerance approach with no success so far. There's still hope for medical patients.
Under a new law proposed by State Senator Lou Correa, it would become illegal in California for a person to drive a vehicle if his or her blood contains any detectable amount of marijuana. This includes medical marijuana, so card holders wouldn't be exempt from this "zero tolerance" policy. Furthermore, considering marijuana can be detected in one's system weeks after use, it's entirely possible a driver could be slapped with a DUI charge after the effects are long gone.
Next →
← Previous
Subscribe We've helped thousands of happy customers start & run their medicinal & recreational businesses in all legal states. Whether you're serious, curious or just looking to gather information, GreenZipp can help.
Primarily through word-of-mouth alone, GreenZipp has become the company people trust to help start and run their legal marijuana businesses. For the last 4 years, people have been using GreenZipp because it's famously easy, straight forward, with no hidden costs. Combine that with our best-in-the-biz customer service, and you've got a unique and delightful offering of products and services.
We've been in business for 5 years, so you can depend on us to alleviate the anxieties and pressures of starting and running your business. Not once, has a single customer ever been in trouble with the law - ever. We're extremely proud of that number. Our job is to keep you safe and compliant with regulations and allow you to run your company without fear or anxiety. We've gone and will continue to go to the ends of the earth for our customers. Learn more about our company.
Many customers come to us saying that they've been told they need a lawyer to start their businesses. Sure, you can definitely use them, but you don't need them. Heck, you can even do it yourself if you don't mind putting in the time and making some costly mistakes from time to time. We take the complicated, confusing and time-consuming process of starting or running your marijuana business and boil it down to plain, detailed and easy-to-follow steps. Or, we can just do the whole process for you.
Here's the best part: We're so effective, lawyers and law firms hire us to service their marijuana industry clients for them.
Absolutely. You can see how our customers feel about us via an independently certified, 3rd party review website. We're extremely proud of our 5 out of 5 Star rating.
We offer a free Starter Package to help people understand the industry and us a little better. Check it out.
New business owners, seasoned entrepreneurs, investment groups and law firms all rely on GreenZipp. We've been fortunate to earn the repeat business of our customers, including some of the top lawyers and law firms in the country.
There's a lot of (mis)information out there. At best, it's usually speculation from non-professionals, old wive's tales or completely fabricated. It can be tough to navigate. With that in mind, here are a few things we've prepared for you:
GreenZipp is a medical & recreational marijuana consulting firm that's helped thousands of customers establish and run their marijuana businesses in all legal states since 2010. With industry-leading, streamlined and cost-effective products and services that abolish hourly & hidden fees, we'll be sure to make you happy.
See customer reviews of our services →
We’ll send periodic news, new product releases and exclusive promotions.
Copyright GreenZipp
