‘Smoke a Joint, Lose License’ Law

Re “ ‘Smoke a Joint, Lose Your License’ Law in Effect,” Dec. 1:

Drunk drivers win again! Convicted drunk drivers will continue to kill and injure by driving on our streets after consuming the “legal” drug, alcohol. The new law will prevent people from driving and getting to work for merely possessing or smoking a “joint.” What about possession of an open container of alcohol in the car? What about the consumption of any alcohol and driving? Over 50% of the traffic fatalities are caused by drinking drivers, not people with less than an ounce of marijuana in their possession.

Our obsession with blaming “illicit” drugs as the cause of all the problems in the country is ridiculous. We must take responsibility for our actions. The problem is not drugs, it is us and our inability to face reality.

GENE MORRIS

Lake Forest

* Someone, oh someone, please explain to me in non-religious terms how, under our newly effective law, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana (automatic penalty: loss of driver’s license for six months) constitutes a more serious transgression than running a red light (citation and $100 fine). Translating my question into less legalistic language: What real-life danger does that small amount of marijuana pose to outweigh the great danger to life, limb and property posed by him or her who runneth that red traffic light?

My use of the word “non-religious” arises from my firm belief that the so-called “war on drugs” is, in large part, little more than an expanded version of our old-time religiously based prohibition of alcoholic beverages; and, from all available information, seems to be working just about as well as its illustrious predecessor.

HORACE GAIMS

Los Angeles

* Your article stated that in the next 12 months, 131,000 drivers in California will lose their licenses for drug-related offenses whether or not they were operating a motor vehicle. Maybe this sounds like a good idea to some; in actuality we all know that the revocation of a license seldom (if ever) stops a person from driving. Especially in a city like Los Angeles with its unworkable mass-transit system. So all this ridiculous new law will do is create 131,000 new illegal drivers this year. Most will be uninsured, as well as apprehensive of being stopped by the cops. That’s just what we need--thousands of more paranoid people behind the wheel on our freeways on top of the millions we already have.

The idea of yet one more “drug law” is actually pretty depressing when you figure it will just create a whole new set of problems for a state that can hardly cope with the ones we’re faced with now. It seems that California is taking one more giant step backward. Is this 1964 or 1994?

CHESTER McGEE

West Hills