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California Assembly Kills "Smoke A Joint," Lose Your License

STATE LAWS

December 1995

On September 15, the Assembly refused to renew the state's "Smoke a Joint, Lose Your License" law that required a six-month driver's license suspension for anyone convicted of a drug offense. The law required the suspension even if the offense was not driving related.

Under a 1990 federal mandate, states are required to decide to adopt or opt out of the license suspensions, or risk losing federal funds for highway construction and maintenance. If California refused to reevaluate the policy, it stood to lose $100 million. Governor Wilson was a supporter of the "Smoke a Joint" law (see "'Smoke a Joint, Lose Your License' Law Goes Into Effect in California," NewsBriefs, December 1994).

[For more information, contact Dale Gieringer, California NORML, 2215-R Market Street #278, San Francisco, CA 94114, 415-563-5858.]