It is fairly common for people to equate DUI charges and drunk driving charges. They assume that facing a DUI charge means that you consumed alcohol, became intoxicated or impaired, and then got in the car.
All of this is true, except that the scope of a DUI can be much bigger than that. It stands for Driving Under the Influence, and any sort of drug-induced influence could be enough to trigger these charges. Alcohol may be the most common drug that leads to this, but it’s not the only one. You could also get a DUI if you’re driving while under the influence of marijuana, for example.
These cases are often more complicated
If you do get arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana, you should know that the case may be a bit more complicated in a few ways. For one thing, the officer who arrests you may have much less experience with marijuana than he or she does with alcohol, so it can be harder for the officer to know what signs to look for to see that you’re impaired.
Furthermore, many alcohol-related DUI arrests involve the use of breath tests or a breathalyzer device. This is not always possible with marijuana, as the same sorts of devices do not exist or are not as reliable. This means that the officer often has to judge whether or not they think that you are impaired, and they can’t just take a reading the way that they would with a breath test.
You need to know what legal options you have
No matter why you’re facing DUI charges, it’s very important to consider your future. This can have major ramifications. Be sure you know about all of your legal options for a defense.
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