Driving under the influence is serious charge with a serious reputation. Many people only think of the acronym “DUI” in terms of a driver who drank too much alcohol. However, there are cases where people get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of drugs. These DUIDs carry many of the same consequences as a DUI, and the person charged with the DUID offense can suffer many of the indirect consequences seen with a person charged with a DUI (such as trouble finding a job or a place to live, given their criminal history).
This is an interesting topic here in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal. However, there are still circumstances where its use is illegal — such as using it and then driving.
You may think that legalizing marijuana has made the number of marijuana-related DUIDs in the state of Colorado skyrocket. But actually, the opposite is true. Marijuana-related DUIDs have actually fallen in the last two years. In 2015, 347 arrests were made for driving under the influence of drugs. In 2014, that number was 354. That may not seem like much, but in the wake of legalizing marijuana, many people should see that tiny dip in DUIDs as a miracle.
If you are driving in the state of Colorado, you are legally impaired under DUID laws if your blood contains at least 5 nanograms of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the main psychoactive component of marijuana, and thus is often associated with the act of driving under the influence of marijuana.
Source: The Gazette, “Report: Marijuana-related DUI citations in Colorado dropped slightly in 2015,” Chhun Sun, Feb. 11, 2016