Washington State DUI laws set the legal limit for alcohol .08. This alcohol limit is based on nearly 100 years of medical research. Did you know a few years ago a legal limit for marijuana intoxication was added to Washington’s DUI statutes? That limit is 5 ng of Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC is the chemical responsible for most of the impairing effects of marijuana. Compared to alcohol there is significantly less research about THC levels in someone’s blood and how those levels are related to physical and mental impairment.
Legal limits for DUI laws allow folks who are over 21 years old to legally drive while having a small amount of alcohol and/or THC in their body. However, knowing whether you’re over the limit for DUI purposes can be difficult. When it comes to alcohol there’s an old “one beer per hour rule.” This rule says no more than one 12 oz standard beer (approximately 4% alcohol) per hour should keep you under the .08 legal limit for an alcohol DUI.
Unfortunately, there is no comparable rule for marijuana and THC. Those who consume marijuana and other products containing THC and who drive in Washington State are at risk of being over the THC limit simply because there isn’t anything like a “one joint per hour rule.”
It’s important to remember the limits discussed above apply to folks who are 21 years of age and older. There are different limits for those Baby DUI’s. If you’re under 21 years of age, then the legal limit for alcohol is .02 and there’s a zero tolerance policy for THC if you’re driving under 21.
The State of Utah recently reduced their legal limit for alcohol from .08 down to .05. Are legal limits that allow drivers to have some amount of alcohol and/or THC in their system a good idea? Should the State of Washington remove the guess work for drivers and simply require no alcohol or THC in the body when driving?
If you or someone you care about are facing a DUI or any other criminal charge, call the experienced attorneys at Cooney Law Offices today. We can help!