cannabisnews.com: DMV Gives The High Sign for Medical-Pot Use DMV Gives The High Sign for Medical-Pot Use Posted by CN Staff on March 03, 2009 at 19:15:01 PT By Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco, CA -- -- Medical marijuana patients in California won't be at risk of losing their driver's licenses unless they get behind the wheel while under the influence.That was the word Tuesday from the Department of Motor Vehicles, which sent a revised training manual to its employees last month explaining how to treat drivers who have a doctor's approval to use pot. The DMV denied it was changing its policy and said the manual merely spelled out the department's long-standing practice. Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group, disagreed. It said the DMV was responding to a lawsuit the group filed last fall on behalf of a Merced County patient whose license was suspended despite an excellent driving record."The new DMV policy is a significant departure from how the agency approached medical marijuana in the past," said Joe Elford, attorney for the advocacy group. "Drivers will no longer have their licenses suspended or revoked simply because of their status as medical marijuana patients."DMV spokesman Steve Haskins insisted that automatic suspensions have never been the department policy. He said the new manual, issued Feb. 18, merely updated a 2001 document that referred to drivers who used medication but did not mention medical marijuana."The policy is and has been that the department treats medical marijuana exactly the same as any other prescription drug," Haskins said. Snipped Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/xg5aeg3ZSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, March 3, 2009Copyright: 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by MarijuanaSavesLives on March 03, 2009 at 23:42:46 PT Feelings..... Hehe ya really...I can feel the change of the guard.. And it was GOOD!Next thing you know they will be growing it and giving it to the people who are in the most need.... oh please let that happen. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 03, 2009 at 19:16:14 PT We Are Winning! Amazing days! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment