Do Colorado law enforcement officials think that motorists driving under the influence of marijuana or another drug pose much of a threat on state roadways?
Truly, they don’t seem to have much of a clue.
One Colorado State Patrol spokesperson refers to the “very, very small sample size” of data collected thus far in the wake of marijuana’s recreational legalization in the state, with pot-related citations issued to motorists since January 2014 reportedly not yielding enough information to be really useful.
“We can’t say one way or another what we anticipate in the coming years,” he says.
That small sample size noted above does indicate one piece of material information, namely this: Reportedly, only 347 of 4,546 driving-under-the-influence citations issued to Colorado motorists last year involved marijuana use. That number spells a paltry 7.6 percent of the total citations handed out for behind-the-wheel drinking offenses.
What officials do stress is that, notwithstanding the lack of solid data available to accurately analyze drugged driving in Colorado, extra funding that is now available to police departments across the state is enabling more comprehensive training and increased enforcement vigilance on state roads.
One legal advocate and commentator on roadway stops of drivers who are suspected of drugged driving and subjected to testing notes what a broad-based band of critics have stated, namely, that an officer’s evaluation is often highly subjective and susceptible of error.
“Police can say whatever they want, ” he says, “and the District Attorney is stuck with that.”
A proven impaired driving defense attorney routinely employs tailored and creative strategies in every DUI/DUID case that probe the weaknesses in charges brought against a client and seek to mitigate an adverse outcome to the fullest degree possible.
A drinking-related offense is a serious matter in Colorado. The advocacy brought to bear by an experienced defense attorney acknowledges that and is marked by stringent efforts to fully promote the legal rights of an accused individual.