The number of motorists driving under the influence of marijuana across the country has increased. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in fact, the numbers have steadily increased since 2007. In 2007, the rate was approximately 8.6%, and that number increased to 12.6% in 2014.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes that the number of pot-impaired drivers has coincided with a reduction in the number of people driving under the influence of alcohol. In California, you could just as easily be arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana, as for driving under the influence of alcohol.
DUI marijuana is a serious crime in California, although there are no conclusive tests that can conclusively prove that the person was under the influence of pot at the time of his arrest. Marijuana affects a person’s system in a way that is very different to the influence of alcohol on the system. Even so, California laws allow you to be arrested for DUI marijuana if you were driving a vehicle under the influence of marijuana, and your ability to drive the vehicle was so impaired that you were unable to drive safely or responsibly.
As is evident, there is plenty of space here for prosecutors to maneuver, and get not only an arrest, but also a conviction. For a first-time DUI marijuana conviction, you could be sentenced to jail time, and lose your license for a period of six months. You could also be fined up to $1000.
If you are arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana, it's important to get in touch with a DUI defense lawyer in Los Angeles. Call a lawyer even if you were using the marijuana for medicinal purposes.
