You CAN be Charged for DUI for Being Impaired by Marijuana, Prescription Pills, or Any Other Substance, Not Just Alcohol.
There are two different ways the police classify driving under the influence in Virginia. One is a DUI, which charged for driving under the influence of alcohol; the other is a DUI-D, which stands for driving under the influence of drugs. That includes driving under the influence of substances like marijuana, cocaine, prescription pills and other drugs.
The bottom line is that drugs like marijuana or prescription pills impair your driving ability because they can negatively impact your judgment, slow your reaction time, and affect your motor coordination. If you are behind the wheel of a vehicle and high on drugs, it will affect everything about your driving experience, and not in a good way.
Driving While High
When you have been smoking marijuana, it takes you longer to react to potential problems on the road and can cause you to focus too intently on the less essential aspects of driving. It can also cause you to have a shorter attention span, decrease your ability to concentrate, and impair your ability to judge the distance between you and another car.
There are a lot of factors to consider when driving under the influence of marijuana. Studies show that intoxication is much different with marijuana than with alcohol, but they’re both very serious…and very dangerous.
Getting Arrested
You are considered to be operating your vehicle if you are sitting in the driver’s seat and the keys are near the ignition, even if the car isn’t moving. That means you can get arrested for driving under the influence of substances in Virginia, such as marijuana, even if your car is parked. This is consistent throughout the United States.
It happens more than people realize. The police have the right to assume you intend to drive the vehicle while intoxicated if you are sitting at the wheel. Not only could you lose your license, but many employers won’t tolerate DUI charges, meaning you could lose your job; your car insurance rates could go also up.
While fighting a DUI for marijuana use is slightly more challenging than one that involves alcohol, it still isn’t easy. You can be arrested and charged for being high in a variety of situations.
The police will likely use a blood test after you’ve been arrested and taken to jail. They will measure what’s in your system, and you may be charged. If you are in this situation, it is best to consult an attorney for legal next steps.
Call the Johnson Law Firm to speak with an Experienced DUI-D Attorney
Put the expertise of Standardized Field Sobriety Tests of the Johnson Law Firm to work for you. Attorney James Johnson is qualified as an Instructor of SFSTs for law enforcement and police academies.
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