It’s unlawful to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This is because both alcohol and controlled substances can impair your ability to drive safely, and therefore they can increase the likelihood of a collision.
Therefore, if you have traces of marijuana in your system and get behind the wheel, you may be charged with driving under the influence (DUI). You need to understand how marijuana can affect your driving as well as the defense options that you can use if you are arrested on marijuana DUI charges.
The statistics on marijuana use and driving
Marijuana can be detected in a person’s system by measuring THC in their blood. Two large European studies found that drivers who had THC in their blood were around twice as likely to be involved in a crash that resulted in the death of a person than a sober driver.
Why does marijuana use affect a person’s ability to drive safely?
While the statistics speak for themselves, there has been difficulty in establishing what role marijuana use plays in the causation of crashes. This is partly because THC can be detected in a person’s blood days or weeks after they have used marijuana. In addition, many people combine the use of marijuana with alcohol, meaning that the increased likelihood of a collision could have been caused by alcohol.
However, what is generally known about the effect of marijuana is that it can impair judgment and motor coordination. It can also affect your ability to concentrate, meaning that you are less focused on the road when driving. It can also slow your reaction time, making a driver under the influence of marijuana less able to react to hazards on the road.
If you have been found to be driving while under the influence of marijuana, you need to take early action so that you can devise a compelling defense.