Ohio, misdemeanor marijuana possession can get you more than a fine or jail time – it can also get your drivers license pulled for six months. This little gem in the law is the legacy of a 1992 Federal mandate tied to Federal highway funding. But the original law contained an opt-out provision. All the state legislators needed to do was pass a resolution in opposition to the mandate and have the governor pass it along to the Secretary of Transportation. Our legislators at the time failed to do that. Today the majority of states do not suspend drivers license for drug offenses like pot possession. But Ohio still has one of the toughest laws in the country. Potentially, a misdemeanor conviction can result in someone having their license suspended for up to 5 years. Remember, this penalty is not for operating a vehicle under the influence. Its just for having a little bit of pot in your possession. And its time for that to change. The resolution to make this change, SCR 27, is currently in the Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee. This week, the Ohio House is expected to pass the final compromise version of the Senate and House bills to put an end to this penalty, which has already passed the Ohio Senate. Once they do this, it will be up to Gov. John Kasich to send it along to Washington, freeing the legislature to get rid of this travesty once and for all. Stay on your public officials about this, and make sure they do the right thing. For more information: Sarah Bevins LPO Vice Chair, Executive Committee Communications Director [email protected] 614-560-4678
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:04:05 +0000