There is no doubt the entire country is watching to see if Colorado crashes and burns. As one of two states to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes (Washington is the other) Colorado is in for a world of hurt when it comes to regulating the use of this drug which is still illegal under federal law.
One of the first places Colorado is addressing is driving under the influence of marijuana. Just how stoned is too stoned to drive? As reported in www.huffingtonpost.com.
Well, A bill that sets a legal limit for THC in a motorist's bloodstream passed in the Colorado House in April.
Now, drivers caught with 5 nanograms THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that produces the "high" sensation, in their blood would be considered to be driving under the influence of marijuana and could be ticketed similarly to a person who was considered to be too drunk to drive.
Why do legislators think that we are only now pursuing DUI cases against those high on weed? This bill will send a very strong message that no longer can you get behind the wheel after smoking marijuana, but that message should have been out there long ago. This is not a recent problem with legalized marijuana. Stoned drivers are almost on par with drunken drivers.
Tim will tell if this bill comes to fruition. This is the fourth time in three years that the state House has supported a marijuana DUI bill, however all previous attempts have failed in the Senate in years past. With increased drug classes and more police attention to stoned drivers, hopefully marijuana use will begin to ebb.