Colorado enforces rigorous and thorough regulations against operating vehicles while impaired. You might wonder if having a valid prescription for a medication exempts you from a DUID (Driving under the influence of drugs) charge. The short answer is no. In Colorado,...
DUID
Colorado’s view on “driving” for DUI
It is a common assumption that drivers get pulled over and subsequently charged with a DUI, DWAI or DUID when the officer sees them driving erratically or causing an accident. However, there are a variety of other circumstances where the person may face charges even...
What if you admit to drinking when stopped?
Police stops are nerve-wracking in the best of times but become more stressful when the officer starts asking questions about the consumption of alcohol. Many drivers were raised to answer questions from an authority figure, so an officer's direct question may get a...
Law enforcement geared up for DUI push
The Labor Day weekend is fast approaching. Many see it as the unofficial end of summer, with cooler temps on the horizon. The three-day holiday weekend also is the final big push for DUI enforcement by law enforcement across the country. Here in Colorado, Colorado...
How do police decide to make an arrest for marijuana DUI?
Everyone is aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Everyone knows that if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is measured at .08 or higher, you’re going to be charged with a DUI. But what about DUI charges involving marijuana use? This has been a persistent...
Standardized test for marijuana intoxication still elusive
The Colorado Department of Transportation says that "any amount of marijuana consumption puts you at risk of driving impaired" and warns that you cannot judge your own level of impairment. The official DUID threshold for marijuana is five nanograms of active...
Looking for a better DUID standard in Colorado, Part 2
A Colorado marijuana advocacy group is, like legions of residents and motorists across the state, less than enthralled with the legal presumption -- the "permissible inference," as termed in our September 8 blog post -- that any motorist with at least five nanograms...
In search of a meaningful “too high to drive” test
We note on our website the firm yet clearly unsatisfactory "5 ng or greater" standard applicable to drivers in Colorado who are suspected of driving after having smoked marijuana. We point out at Shazam Kianpour & Associates in Denver that a motorist found to have...
Is CO’s 5-NG THC limit a reliable measure for impaired driving?
The recreational use of marijuana may be legal under Colorado law, but that doesn't mean you won't be arrested for driving while under the influence of drugs (DUID) if you smoke pot before getting behind the wheel. In fact, Colorado law expressly states that there is...
Increasing focus, regulatory response to DUID across the country
DUI-related stories and reports -- emanating from both Colorado and elsewhere across the country -- are increasingly citing data and other information germane to so-called "DUID" (driving under the influence of drugs) offenses.And that is only natural, given the...