Legalization is still in California’s future, but marijuana is occupying state lawmakers’ minds in the present.

About 20 bills that deal with cannabis in some regard were introduced in the Legislature before the deadline for new laws last month. These include the latest attempt at regulating the state’s billion-dollar marijuana industry, regulations of synthetic marijuana packaging and how much seized weed police can destroy.

But what’s not included, for the first time in three sessions, is a bill imposing criminal penalties for drivers with cannabinoids in their systems. After two straight losses, lawmakers have decided against crafting laws cracking down on stoned drivers — and this is a good thing.

As opponents said time and again, the last two proposed laws would have penalized the stoned as well as the stone-cold and sober.

Currently, you can be busted for a marijuana DUI in California if law enforcement makes the determination that you are high while driving and that your highness is impairing your driving ability. Likewise, you can successfully defend yourself by claiming that either you are not high, or that you are high but not impaired, according to various defense attorneys. [Read more at SFWeekly]