Drugged Driving Test Authorized In Proposed Legislation Criticized As Unreliable, Experimental
One California lawmaker has responded to an uptick in drugged driving crashes by introducing legislation that would allow police officers to use saliva swab tests, which are widely used in the United Kingdom. But some have misgivings about the tests.
The Orange County Register:
A New Urgency To Find Roadside Test For Drugged Drivers
This year, California could join a parade of states marching toward legalization of adult recreational marijuana use. But here, as in Colorado, Washington and other states that have already taken the leap, many anti-pot cops and a pro-pot advocates agree: No one yet has devised a practical and reliable field test to determine when a driver is under the influence of marijuana. (Staggs, 4/17)
In other news —
The Press Democrat:
North Coast Legislator Seeks New Licensing For Small Medicinal Marijuana Growers
Medical marijuana advocates are hailing a bill that would carve a niche for small-scale growers, known as “cottage cannabis farmers,” in California’s program to regulate the $1 billion medical pot industry. (Kovner, 4/16)
The Associated Press:
Medical Pot Activists Fear Epilepsy Drug Could Undercut Them
An experimental epilepsy drug made from cannabis plants grown in England is complicating the medical marijuana debate in hospitals and statehouses. Epidiolex is a nearly pure extract of cannabidiol, or CBD, with little of the tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, that gets traditional pot users high. CBD products are the current rage in medicinal pot products, and activists fear that if the maker of Epidiolex manages to get FDA approval it could undercut the political momentum of the medical marijuana movement. (Carr Smyth, 4/17)