Many people don’t even know that it’s possible to get arrested and charged for a DUI after ingesting marijuana in California. Sure, marijuana has been legal for medical use in California since 1996, and possession of marijuana without a prescription has been downgraded to a misdemeanor charge as a result of the passage of Proposition 47, but driving while under the influence of marijuana is still a punishable offense according to current DUI laws.
Subjectivity and Marijuana DUIs
Determining whether someone is under the influence of drugs such as marijuana while driving is a lot more difficult than simply blood alcohol levels. However, if the police officer who pulls you over on suspicion of DUI tests you to see if marijuana or other drugs are present in your system, you may be hit with a DUI charge.
But what if you weren’t high?
However, it’s possible that even if marijuana is present in your body, you haven’t driven under its influence. That’s because marijuana is a substance that lingers in the body for days, and even weeks after it’s smoked or otherwise consumed. So sometimes marijuana DUI charges are completely unwarranted. The State of California has yet to develop a standard policy of how much marijuana is permissible to avoid being charged with DUI, so it’s a real gray area legally.
Defending against a marijuana DUI
This is actually good news for you because an expert criminal defense attorney may be able to successfully argue that while marijuana was present in your system when you were driving, you were not intoxicated in any way. The police officer may have incorrectly interpreted your behavior and performance on the Field Sobriety Test as evidence that you were under the influence of marijuana, but that may have been an entirely false assessment.
Marijuana DUI defense Attorney Dan Chambers
One thing is for sure for every marijuana DUI case–you need to find the best DUI criminal defense attorney possible. Attorney Dan Chambers is an ideal choice because he has effectively taken care of many marijuana DUI charges, sometimes getting them dismissed entirely for lack of real evidence of intoxication. He will fight for you tenaciously because he knows that having a DUI conviction on you record is the absolute worst case scenario. If you are convicted, your license will be suspended or completely revoked, you’ll have to pay heavy fines, and you’ll have to attend certain classes.
Prevent a DUI conviction from permanently staining your record today by scheduling a free initial appointment with Attorney Dan Chambers. Contact the Chambers Law Firm by:
- calling 714-760-4088
- emailing dchambers@clfca.com
- by using the chat box below to make an appointment today
