Weed, and your drivers license

fastfredracing · 04-07-2009, 02:33 PM

I had customer picking up his car today, I put a clutch in his Passat. We chit chatting a little when he was paying his bill, and told me that it would be a shame that he would not be able to drive the car after next week, as he was loosing his license. He told me that he was caught with a small ammount of Marijuana, and a pipe. He also said that now, in the state of Pa. that a possession charge carries a mandatory 90 day drivers license suspension. His situation was in no way related to a motor vehicle offense. He told me that his neighbors complianed for some reason or another, and the police showed up and spotted his pot pipe on the counter when they walked in.
I have never heard of such blasphemy , have any of you out there heard of any laws to this effect?

Zeke · 04-07-2009, 02:40 PM

No, but I've heard of illegal search and seizure. If your statement is as exactly how they came to find his pipe, they don't get to have that evidence in court. Of course it may have been in plain view, or they claim so, and an attorney would be very costly.

And, it may be all moot if he laid down for the system, and I guess it's over.

Moses · 04-07-2009, 02:41 PM

Pretty stupid. "Reason" seems to have been the first casualty in the war on drugs.

As Marijuana gets decriminalized, law enforcement and M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Doobified Driving?) are going to have a problem. How do you determine acute marijuana intoxication? No breathalyser and it stays in your blood for weeks. Impossible to objectively identify stoned drivers.

masraum · 04-07-2009, 02:42 PM

I'm a goody two shoes, but even I know that when the cops come to your door, you don't let them in. You meet them outside. They can't come in unless they are let in or they believe they have probable cause or something like that.

willtel · 04-07-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm a goody two shoes, but even I know that when the cops come to your door, you don't let them in. You meet them outside. They can't come in unless they are let in or they believe they have probable cause or something like that.

Exactly. Although stepping outside can be a mistake as well, some warrants can be served once you exit your dwelling and some allow them to break down the door to come in and get you. In this case the LEO likely had neither and opening the door for a 'knock and talk' got him in trouble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses

As Marijuana gets decriminalized, law enforcement and M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Doobified Driving?) are going to have a problem. How do you determine acute marijuana intoxication? No breathalyser and it stays in your blood for weeks. Impossible to objectively identify stoned drivers.

In Australia I believe they use mouth swabs to do roadside checks.

speeder · speeder's Garage

I remember an episode of COPS where the cops were trying to get a guy to come outside to "talk" and he just stayed inside the screen door and told them to pound sand. Not sure what state it was but think it was Mpls, MN. Yeah, pretty sure it was.

rammstein · 04-07-2009, 03:57 PM

I've wondered the same about testing for sobriety when it comes to marijuana. Seems like a tough thing to test for in a road-check situation.

Gogar · 04-07-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses

Impossible to objectively identify stoned drivers.

Hogwash! It's a well known fact that stoned drivers' fingertips will invariably be orange from the Cheetos.

legion · 04-07-2009, 06:13 PM

I suspect that if pot were really legalized, it would have a "zero tolerance" threshold for driving.

HardDrive · 04-07-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

I suspect that if pot were really legalized, it would have a "zero tolerance" threshold for driving.

I don't think folks should be driving stoned out of their minds, but thats just the issue. How do you know when someone is 'stoned'. Marijuana is a totally different intoxicant.

legion · 04-07-2009, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I don't think folks should be driving stoned out of their minds, but thats just the issue. How do you know when someone is 'stoned'. Marijuana is a totally different intoxicant.

You are correct, but because it is possible to judge, political reality tells me the bar will be set very low. (It helps with the revenue, you know.)

dan79brooklyn · 04-07-2009, 06:25 PM

Funny..There is an article in the current Car and Driver on Police testing drivers for being under the influence of Marijuana "Up in Smoke" not on their site...from the magazine... Much more involved than testing for drunkeness though some of the dexterity/coordination tests are the same, pupil dilation and pupil measurement test...rapid vertical eye movements...and pulse reading...shining lights in your eye...etc etc 12 steps!

Schrup · Schrup's Garage

I hope they get this all figured out & decriminalized/legalized before my son goes off to college.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses

Pretty stupid. "Reason" seems to have been the first casualty in the war on drugs.

As Marijuana gets decriminalized, law enforcement and M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Doobified Driving?) are going to have a problem. How do you determine acute marijuana intoxication? No breathalyser and it stays in your blood for weeks. Impossible to objectively identify stoned drivers.

I saw an article on this, where they mentioned officers trained to observe ostensible physiologic effects of acute intoxication

coolngroovy · 04-07-2009, 07:15 PM

This has just been introduced into Australia.

Roadside swabs. Supposedly returning a + reading if the driver has consumed weed in the previous 12 hrs.

It wont give absolute proof that the driver is stoned, just that he/she has consumed in the previous 12hrs.

That appears to be enough for a conviction over here!

ski wagen · 04-07-2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I don't think folks should be driving stoned out of their minds, but thats just the issue. How do you know when someone is 'stoned'. Marijuana is a totally different intoxicant.

Reminds me of a funny story: I had a roommate in college that made it a point to get very well baked before going to get his drivers license photo taken, on the theory that if he was ever pulled over in same state the police might just think that's how he normally looked. Don't know if he ever got to test that theory or not . . .

HardDrive · 04-07-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolngroovy

This has just been introduced into Australia.

Roadside swabs. Supposedly returning a + reading if the driver has consumed weed in the previous 12 hrs.

It wont give absolute proof that the driver is stoned, just that he/she has consumed in the previous 12hrs.

That appears to be enough for a conviction over here!

Absurd. You could get stoned off your nut, and be sober 8 hrs later.

I'm torn.

I don't want people driving stoned, but I don't want dumb laws that aren't based on reality. A person could come home from work and smoke a joint at 8pm, and get arrested at 8am for driving while stoned? Dumb.

9dreizig · 04-07-2009, 07:32 PM

Welcome to the new world order
Nobody ever got a speeding ticket while stoned!

Dottore · 04-07-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I don't think folks should be driving stoned out of their minds, but thats just the issue. How do you know when someone is 'stoned'. Marijuana is a totally different intoxicant.

True dat.

The stoners are the ones driving far too slow, with intense concentration, on the very right side of the road.

Nothing wrong with that.

coolngroovy · 04-07-2009, 07:52 PM

Quote:

The stoners are the ones driving far too slow, with intense concentration, on the very right side of the road.

Rather uncool in Australia!