Imagine driving with people you know. Days before, you’d been using drugs, but you’re no longer intoxicated now. You have none of the side effects.
Despite that, the drugs come up on a drug test after you get into a crash. Now, you’re accused of driving while intoxicated, even though you were not suffering from any of the side effects of the drugs at the time.
That may be one way to defend yourself if you ever find yourself in a situation like this one. With close to a year having passed since the collision that took the lives of two people, a 19-year-old woman and a 20-month-old child, a man is just now facing charges. It is alleged that the then-20-year-old man driving the vehicle had cannabinoids in his blood stream at the time of the crash, which could have been a factor in the wreck.
Marijuana has recently been legalized in Arkansas, so police are concerned about a rise in its usage and role in collisions. Right now, there are tests that can accurately determine if a person is intoxicated, but the same isn’t true with marijuana. Someone with cannabinoids in his or her system may actually not be high or intoxicated at all, only presenting with the remains of a drug used days or even weeks earlier.
The man in this case now faces trial in October and has a $75,000 bond. Since there is no standard for drugged driving, it may make charging and prosecuting this man more difficult. The same may be true in your case.
Source: ABC 7 On Your Side KATV, “Alleged drugged driver in court,” Jason Pederson, Aug. 3, 2017