DUI Facts to Know for 4/20 Celebrations in West Virginia

Even if this is not listed on your desk calendar, today is a national holiday for many Americans.

For those who are unaware of April 20th, more commonly known as 4/20, let me tell you this is a marijuana enthusiast’s holiday.

Except for Denver, where smoking pot is still considered to be legal, there is a news update regarding the law enforcement officials who expect that despite a warning, only tens of thousands of revelers practice safe pot smoking.

So, exactly what do they mean? According to the officials of Denver, there are several people who understand that being high is an absolute criminal offense even if consumption of weed is not.

Similarly, the fact is the same even for those who want to celebrate today in West Virginia and Pennsylvania where possession of marijuana for whatsoever reason is considered to be illegal. You must know that if you toke and get pulled over for driving in such conditions, you can be charged with a DUI.

In fact, the state authorities had arrested about seven hundred cannabis-impaired drivers which all together contributed to the twelve percent of all the DUI arrests in Colorado. And this was in the very first year of the recreational legalization of pot over there. I have said this many times before and have no qualms about saying it again that for those of you who are planning to celebrate 4/20 tonight, being ignorant of the law is not an excuse for breaking it.

For the record, driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or above in West Virginia is considered to be illegal. This 0.08 percent is the standard BAC measurement for all the “impaired” drivers all across the United States. However, the state of West Virginia has slightly lower BAC limits, of 0.04 for the commercial drivers and 0.02 or zero tolerance for a driver who is below the age of twenty-one. The DUI law of the state of West Virginia also prohibits a motor vehicle operation by drivers who are under the influence of any controlled substance such as inhalants, narcotics, or other types of intoxicants. And if you are ever convicted of such offenses, you can be imposed huge fines along with a considerable period of time in prison. Hopefully, you want to steer clear of such predicaments.

So, make sure you have a plan in place when you decide to celebrate. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you are bound to smoke and drive. Take it from this experienced criminal defense lawyer of West Virginia- DUI is a serious offense with some very serious consequences. So, choose a designated driver when you are going out after smoking and drinking. Or rather, stay indoors after consuming anything which is intoxicating and crash on a cozy couch when you have had enough.

And if even after all this, you get caught up in such an offense, you must never hesitate to contact a reputed lawyer. You can call me anytime with any kind of a DUI case. I am always here to guide you and help you with all the legal proceedings and get you out of this pool of mess.

Source: CBS4 Denver – Safe Pot Use Is The Message During 4/20 Marijuana Holiday