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Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Tue May 24, 2005 at 08:41:00 PM EST
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This is pretty ridiculous. Someone in Washington State is driving around with the license plate "C9H13N" and the state is upset because it says it's the formula for methamphetamine.

The plate appears to be counter to state regulations that ban vanity plates making reference to alcohol or illegal substances.

Only it's also the formula for amphetamine and amphetamines lawfully are used in medicines. Hundreds of substances have the same chemcial formula. The chemical formula for scopolamine , also known as ( truth serum)is C17H21NO4. The chemical formula for cocaine is the same: C17H21NO4. The two compounds have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas, thereby accounting for the different effects. Would a plate reading "C17H21NO4" be illegal too?

What if I wanted my license plate to read "KDrink"? Will wearing a t-shirt that says "I Love Meth" become illegal as well? How about if the back said "Please donate to my denture fund" - wouldn't that make it an anti-drug shirt and acceptable?

Limiting free speech puts the state on a treacherous slope. They should climb down now and let the plate slide.

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    Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#7)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:52:56 PM EST
    On the saame grounds California denied MILF as a vanity plate (hee hee), but seriously... Whom could this possibly harm?

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:52:56 PM EST
    I feel like I got away with something. When I bought my VW Bus, it came with an ordinary plate that read "110 THC".

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#1)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    CH2O? (sea water) A fairy tale: Once upon a time a man asked a woman to marry him. She said no. And the man lived happily ever after. We're here all night. Try the veal.

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    This is just too mad, even for you yanks. No sign in the article who complained about this. Some crazed fundamentalist scientist. (That doesn't sound right). In the UK we have a market in vanity plates but you don't get to choose the digits. You have to choose from previously released numbers or numbers that fit the correct pattern for the year of your motor. Quite often creative (and illegal) modification to the actual plate are used to get the the required meaning. Hence A1 is a registerd and highly valued plate. A few years ago when the administration of index plates was handed over to the DVLA (Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency) a lot of revinue was generated by selling off previouly unused patterns. Sadly, PEN15 is yet to be released.

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Epitaph of an unknown scientist. He was found lying, Dead upon the floor, For what he thought was H2O Was H2SO4

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#4)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Oh my god... So if my name is Miller, I am not allowed a vanity plate? and besides, what harm can there possibly be in advertising the atomic level for anything? The guys and gals buying cold medicine and starting fluid don't care about the "compound formula", and neither does the tweaker. Raving about this makes no sense.

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:19 PM EST
    Actually, the formula for methamphetmaine is C10H15N. And C9H13N is also the formula for a substance called cumidine, used for the analysis of tungsten

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:25 PM EST
    On what possible grounds is this move, and the regulation that supposedly supports it, not a first amendment violation?

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#9)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    You think that is petty?

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#10)
    by Patrick on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    So did they guy with CNLNGS get to keep his plate or not?

    Re: Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:21 PM EST
    Only in America, the land of drug hysteria. Who are the mental giants who find the time to worry about such nonsense?

    Licence Plate Bears Meth Formula | 11 comments (11 topical)