Search Results: DUI (187)

Flickr/Alex E. Proimos.


Arizonans no longer risk getting a DUI for driving with an inactive metabolite of marijuana in their blood following a ruling by the state’s high court.
The Arizona Supreme Court announced this morning that it was reaffirming the trial court’s decision to dump the case of Hrach Shilgevorkyan, who was prosecuted for driving while impaired after a blood test revealed the presence of marijuana. New Times covered the case and overall issue in detail in the Phoenix New Times May 2013 article “Riding High.

Tim Norris/LA Weekly.


A proposal in the state legislature could mean DUIs for drivers who aren’t stoned but who toked a few days ago.It would also hit motorists with even a trace of such prescription drugs as Ambien, Vicodin and even phentermine, a diet drug, with DUI cases if they’re stopped by cops who think they’re impaired.
Medical marijuana supporters are aghast. And they might have good reason to be.

Hrach Shilgevorkyan was charged with a marijuana DUI after a blood test revealed no active THC in his system. It did reveal an inactive metabolite of THC, though. The presence of that inactive metabolite has nothing to do with any potential impairment.
A judge eventually dismissed the case, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office appealed it, as the case eventually landed at the state Supreme Court.Prosecutors have argued that this was actually the intent of the Legislature. Essentially, they’ve argued that if you smoke a joint — medical marijuana patient, or not — you are forbidden from driving, probably for a few days, and possibly up to a month. Phoenix New Times has the full, absurd story.

Last week, defense attorneys weighed in on a damning March report aimed at the Colorado toxicology lab, which conducts blood tests for cases of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Now several activists and attorneys have said that the release of the report was postponed until June for fear it would undermine the THC driving bill, which passed last month after two failed attempts. Now, NORML (which was in favor of THC driving limits just a few months ago) wants the state legislature to revisit the law. Denver Westword has the rest.

After three years of trying and despite the science to back it up, the Colorado legislature finally passed a bill limiting the amount of THC a person can have in their system to 5 nanograms per-milliliter of blood.
House Bill 1325 received more than two-thirds support earlier today. If signed by the governor, the limit will be set in stone. According to Kristen Wyatt with the Associated Press, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has already asked for the bill so that he can sign it. Hickenlooper had campaigned for setting a limit over the last few months.
(An earlier edition of this post incorrectly stated the nanogram limit and has since been changed)

Addy, driving stoned on a closed course in Wash.

For the millions of people who now use marijuana legally under their states’ laws, driving in Arizona is technically a crime.
Motorists with pot metabolites in their bloodstreams who want to avoid a marijuana DUI — which comes with nasty fines and a one-year suspension of driving privileges, instead of the regular 90 days for booze DUIs — may want to consult this quick primer over at the Phoenix New Times.

Flickr.com

Should High Times be kept behind the counter with Hustler? Enough Colorado legislators seem to think so, and the proposal ended up as part of a larger bill that creates Colorado’s recreational cannabis industry being debated right now. The bill is required by Amendment 64, which legalized small amounts of cannabis for personal use and cultivation as well as created a state-regulated cannabis industry.
Amendments to the implementation bill also bring back the proposed THC DUI laws that were shot down last month by a state Senate committee but seem to have once again reared their science-less head with just days left before the legislature adjourns. Denver Westword has the local angle.

Earlier this month, the latest version of a THC driving bill that had failed the past two years seemed to be on a steady march to passage despite e-mail protests and petitions.
But no: Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-1 to squash the measure again.
Why? One advocate believes the legislation was doomed by the killer combo of persistent critics and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling of a few days ago. Denver Westword has the rest.

Addy, driving stoned on a closed course in Wash.

The current incarnation of Colorado House Bill 1114, also known as the THC driving bill, gained House approval earlier this month and is headed for the Senate Judiciary Committee April 22 — the Monday after the 4/20 weekend.
Given that timing, several activists — including Cannabis University founder Michelle LaMay — are urging 4/20 revelers to use taxis and public transportation, as police may be looking for marijuana-impaired drivers. Denver Westword has the rest.

Legislation to set THC driving standards in Colorado has failed twice before. However, a new version that also tweaks alcohol DUI rules won unanimous approval during its first House committee hearing in late February.
Momentum for the bill has not flagged in the month-plus since then. Yesterday, it was favorably reported out of the appropriations committee. It’ll next head to the House floor, where it faces little organized opposition. Why the change? Denver Westword has the rest of the story.

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