Cars Fellow

Experts in Los Angeles who study driving under the influence are always interested in what the law is doing in Colorado, which is frequently on the “cutting edge” of interesting new developments in DUI law and culture.

The state of Colorado just enacted a law that legalises marijuana for recreational usage. But the state government of Colorado is trying to keep high drivers off the roads in the Rocky Mountains. As part of its broad “drive high, get a DUI” safety campaign, the Colorado Department of Transportation has recently run a number of television commercials. Consider discussing your situation and hire an experienced attorney.

The CDOT ads are full of dark wit. In one commercial, a man attempts to mount a television, only to have it fall on his head. According to the advertisement material, “driving to purchase a new TV isn’t legal, but installing your TV while high is.”

As Chief of Police for the Colorado State Patrol, Scott Hernandez promoted a “safety first” message, saying, “while Coloradans now have more access to marijuana, we want you to know that law enforcement is trained to spot impairment by all categories of narcotics and alcohol.”

The CDOT prohibits blood THC concentrations of more than 5 ng/mL. According to a poll conducted in September of last year, more than 20% of Colorado motorists admitted to driving within a month of using marijuana. That’s a truly terrifying number to consider.

A number of people on both sides of the argument are concerned that the 5-nanogram limit will be difficult to police. According to a CDOT spokesperson quoted by USA Today, “one hit might send someone over the limit.” At the same time, Mason Tvert, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, told USA Today that “too much evidence suggests that [the 5 nanogram limit] will result in people being wrongly convicted of DUI when they are not genuinely impaired.”

According to CVC Section 23152(a), “under the influence” is an umbrella term that encompasses not only alcohol but also drugs like marijuana, prescription narcotics, illegal drugs, and over-the-counter medications, making it possible to charge a driver with DUI even if they were only under the influence of one of these substances.

In order to detect the presence of substances like marijuana, law enforcement cannot utilise a breathalyser. They instead administer blood and urine tests to people they suspect of driving. Juries review chemical analyses using the results to assess guilt and punishment.