WHAT ARE THEY SMOKING?

ALTHOUGH CUTE and catchy, the ``Smoke a Joint, Lose Your License''
legislation currently stalled in the Legislature represents a clumsily
scattershot plan that would do little to either make the roads safer or to
attack serious drug abuse.

The measure, AB 2295, sponsored by Assemblyman Dean Florez, D-Shafter,
requires a six-month driver's license suspension for anyone convicted of a
drug offense -- including possession of marijuana -- even if the offense is
not remotely driving-related. People could lose driving privileges if
convicted for smoking pot in their living room, lying on a picnic blanket
in the park or any other places that have nothing to do with traffic safety
or automobiles.

However, the measure imposes no consequences for real driving-related
hazards such as recklessness, red-light running or driving while intoxicated.

And, of course, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, murder and other far
more serious public safety offenses are neither a part of the proposal or
otherwise subjected to similar driving restrictions.

One might reasonably argue that any number of criminal offenses, especially
violent ones, show a greater disregard for public safety and hence might
portend a greater danger on the road.

But logic seems to be missing from this bill.

Originally, the law was signed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson. Under pressure
from Washington, Wilson backed a federal mandate crafted to avoid marijuana
decriminalization laws. To prevent a cutoff of federal highway funds,
states had to endorse the law or have their governors and legislatures both
agree not to. So Wilson signed a bill endorsing the federal mandate
temporarily. When the law expired in June, it should have been left at that.

But this absurd idea would not just fade away.

The state could find many more relevant and effective ways to address drug
abuse and highway safety than this ill-conceived law. Legislators should
reject the Florez bill.