Nebraska man sues DMV to get pro-marijuana plates

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An attorney who wants voters to decide whether marijuana should be legal in Nebraska sued the state's Department of Motor Vehicles on Thursday, saying its rejection of his application for personalized license plates with a marijuana-themed message violated his free speech rights.

Holbrook attorney Frank Shoemaker said in his application that license plate "NE420" would be an important part of his campaign to get a marijuana legalization measure on next year's ballot. The term "4/20" is well known among pot smokers and refers to a date, April 20, or time, 4:20, when people are encouraged to partake.

"The plate was not just a personal thought, but a political one," Shoemaker said in a written statement Thursday. "I don't think I should be told to keep quiet just because the state doesn't like my political views."

The DMV's explanation for rejecting Shoemaker's application was that the number 420 is "associated with a date and time for people to gather and smoke marijuana/cannabis."

The department has a written policy stating that it will reject vanity plate applications if it determines the plate number would "express, connote or imply objectionable, obscene or offensive word or phrases."


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http://www.necn.com/11/17/11/Man-su...n.html?&apID=26c58a3ce7134fbda2eb8530e56db2c9

I wonder if Nebraska specifically excludes the number 420 from its randomly generated plates? Its just a damn number.

Imagine how fun it would be to get pulled over if your plates said NE420. I've always thought about that with things like pro-drug bumper stickers too.

I Never understood people who do stuff like that, you may think a weed leaf in the rear window is cool or whatever.

But when you get pulled over after picking up an ounce you'll be eating your god damn hat.

^Or your ounce. lol.

Newbierock said:

I Never understood people who do stuff like that, you may think a weed leaf in the rear window is cool or whatever.

But when you get pulled over after picking up an ounce you'll be eating your god damn hat.

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Agreed. In a perfect world, I would be totally supportive of the guy but Marijuana is illegal and advertising your use to any random stranger along with any cop behind you isn't the best idea. I'm sure he'd get pulled over based on that-whether or not the cop could do so legally, its another little bit of reasonable suspicion.