As Pico Rivera DUI criminal defense lawyers, we frequently read about people who are accused of driving under the influence of alcohol -- but news about marijuana DUIs is much less common. That's why we were interested in a recent and highly publicized column by Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez, who decided to drive stoned and write about it at the request of the Los Angeles City Attorney. Law enforcement was interested in the stunt because several groups believe that if Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize marijuana, passes, the number of marijuana DUIs will increase. So they asked Lopez and a KABC radio host, Peter Tilden, to drive on a closed course, then smoke medically prescribed marijuana and drive again to compare their performances.
Lopez and Tilden drove through a slalom course and attempted to park in tight spaces. They also were asked to choose the lane with the green light when the lights in three forks in the road changed suddenly as they approached. This last requirement didn't bother Lopez when he drove the course sober. However, when he approached the same green light choice while stoned, he said he swerved violently. On the other parts of the course, he said, he thought he did fine and didn't feel as impaired as he would have after a few drinks or while playing with a cell phone. An officer observing him said Lopez had only touched a few traffic cones, but concluded that Lopez was less confident in his abilities and had shown impairment "across the board." Tilden reportedly also felt fine but made a hash of his parallel parking.
Of course, this is far from a scientific look at driving under the influence of marijuana. Scientists have performed several more scientific studies on the subject. As a rule, these studies find that marijuana does impair driving, but not to the degree that alcohol does. In fact, a British study found that marijuana is also less harmful than texting while driving. This is part of why we, in our work as Cypress intoxicated driving criminal defense attorneys, have found that a marijuana DUI is easier in some ways to defend than an alcohol DUI. The scientific establishment has also not produced clear scientific standards about what substances in the blood show impairment. Nonetheless, driving stoned is still less safe than driving sober, not to mention illegal, and would remain illegal even if Proposition 19 passes.
Howard Law, P.C. represents people of all backgrounds and walks of life who need expert legal help to fight a charge of driving under the influence, including DUIs stemming from drugs. Thanks to years of "tough on crime" measures, even a first DUI is not a minor matter. On a first DUI conviction with no serious accident involved, drivers face jail or probation; loss of their driver's licenses; thousands of dollars in fines and fees; alcohol education classes; community service and more. In addition to creating a criminal record and costing thousands of dollars, this can cause problems at work or with other obligations by taking away the right to drive. Our Santa Ana drunk driving criminal defense lawyers can fight the loss of your license as well as the DUI charge, but it's important that we get involved right away.
If you're facing criminal DUI charges or a related loss of your driver's license, Howard Law, P.C. can help. To tell us about your situation and learn more about us, contact us today for a free consultation by sending us an email or call 1-800-872-5925.
