Driving

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Washington Marijuana Initiative Gains Support

An initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in Washington state is pulling in some big names and big bucks, but it hasn't completely unified the state's marijuana community behind it. That may not matter.

Beal leading Global Marijuana March in NYC, 1994 (wikimedia.org)

Activist Dana Beal Sentenced, Suffers Heart Attack

As he waited in a Wisconsin holding cell to be transferred to state prison to serve a marijuana trafficking sentence, iconic activist Dana Beal was stricken with a heart attack. He is currently in intensive care under sedation.

Minnesota State Patrol cruiser (image via Wikimedia)

Trapped Trooper Kills Minnesota Woman Fleeing Drug Bust

A Minnesota women is dead after a routine traffic stop escalated into a potential drug bust and attempted escape that endangered a trooper.

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The 2011 National Drug Control Strategy: Drug Policy on Autopilot [FEATURE]

The drug czar has released the 2011 National Drug Control Strategy, and there's little new there but a renewed attack on medical marijuana and legalization. Otherwise, it's pretty much business as usual.

The first steps have been taken toward letting any Colorado adult grow six of these legally. (Image courtesy the author)

Marijuana Legalization Initiatives Filed in Colorado [FEATURE]

Will Colorado legalize weed in 2012? A broad array of state and national reform groups have just filed initiatives that would do precisely that.

They will still have to prove the high driver is actually impaired in Colorado. (Image via Wikimedia.org)

Colorado Marijuana and Driving Bill Fails

Language that would have created a per se drugged driving law in Colorado was briefly reinserted in a bill Friday, but then the bill was killed Monday.

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Colorado Drugged Driving Bill Generating Confusion and Concerns [FEATURE]

A bill moving in Colorado would set threshold THC blood levels to determine whether drivers are impaired. The question is would exceeding that level cause an automatic conviction or just more evidence to convict? Right now, the bill does both.

Washington Lawmakers Consider Limit on THC Blood Levels

Not to be outdone by legislators in Colorado, Washington state officials are considering setting a legal limit for the amount of THC in a driver's blood. Nevada and Ohio have two-nanogram limits for THC. Pennsylvania has a five-nanogram "guideline," but not a limit. Twelve states have a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of any illicit drug, including marijuana. A group of 11 international scientists published a comprehensive study on the effects of THC on driving ability. They concluded that drivers do not pose a crash risk until they reach between 10-20 nanograms of THC per milliliter. They also determined that 18-20 nanograms is the equivalent of a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .08, the current legal limit in most U.S. states.

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Warrantless GPS Tracking Facing Fourth Amendment Challenges [FEATURE]

State and federal courts have been grappling with the issue of whether police need a warrant to install a GPS tracking device on a vehicle. Now it may be headed for the Supreme Court.

Impaired Driving Bill Draws Opposition From Medical Marijuana Users

Montana's House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Representative Ken Petersonâs bill which aims to make it illegal to drive while on any dangerous drugs "per se." House Bill 33 also includes metabolite, or any molecule left in the body, yet excludes prescription medication if taken under doctors orders. "This bill makes sure you canât drive while impaired under the influence of drugs and I donât think this bill requires any showing of impairment, it deems somebody to be on the wrong side of the law merely for having a few molecules of certain substances in their blood," said medical marijuana patient Barbara Trego.

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