driving under the influence of marijuana Archives

The Washington State Patrol releases “Drive High, Get a DUI” Campaign

Last month, the Washington State Patrol began their new campaign, “Drive High, Get a DUI,” to educate the public that it is illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. The slogan, “Drive High, Get A DUI” was written to be straight forward and clear, warning drivers that if they are under the influence of marijuana while driving than they could be arrested and charged with DUI. The campaign officially began on July 1st to coincide with the first day marijuana retail stores opened their doors to the general public.

While marijuana seems to be the primary focus of the campaign, “Drive High, Get A DUI” also applies to other drugs and substances that produce a high effect. “We see a lot of folks that are impaired by glue, by paint, by prescription and non prescription medication,” said Washington State Trooper, Jeff Sevigney. Any driver that is under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, drugs, and/or substances could be arrested and charged with DUI. “The bottom line is don’t drive while you’re impaired,” warns Trooper Sevigney.

In effort to enforce the campaign, Washington State law enforcement agencies have increased their officer training programs to help them better identify individuals that are under the influence of marijuana, drugs, and/or substances. The sheer number of troopers and patrol units on the streets has also been increased and will be maintained throughout the summer.

“Procedures are still the same. Troopers are looking for drivers that are under the influence,” explains Trooper Sevigney. “We recommend that you don’t carry it in your vehicle because if I smell marijuana in your vehicle I’m going to instantly make sure nobody is impaired while they’re driving,” said Sevigney.

If charged with a marijuana, drug, or substance DUI, the consequences are the same as an alcohol related DUI, which include possible jail time, monetary fines and fees, and loss of driver’s license.

Contact the experienced DUI lawyers at David O Defense if you have been charged with a DUI, 206-459-6392, the legal consultation is free.

Written by Sarah Ann

NFL Player Dwayne Bowe Charged With Possession of Marijuana

This past Sunday shortly before midnight, Dwayne Bowe, wide receiver for the Chiefs, was pulled over by Kansas City police for speeding 48 mph in a 35 mph zone. When the police officer approached Bowe’s car to collect license and registration information, the officer allegedly smelled heavy odors of recently smoked marijuana drafting from the interior of the luxury car.

The smell of marijuana provided reasonable suspicion for the officer to search the pro football player’s Audi A8 with a police dog. Two containers of marijuana were discovered, one held 6.6 grams of product and the other contained 3.8 grams. Bowe was arrested and charged with speeding and possession of marijuana. One of two passengers in the car was also arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.

According to the arresting officer’s report, Bowe admitted to smoking “a little weed” while at the Kansas City Airport. The officer also noted that Bowe asked him if the nearby Sonic fast food joint was still open.

-Apparently, Bowe and his buddies were stoned, hungry, and were in a huge hurry to get to Sonic before it closed at midnight.-

Bowe was released from jail on $750.00 bail and has his first court appearance set on December 18th.

Lucky for Chief fans, Bowe will not face any football league suspensions at this time for the possession of marijuana charge and will be allowed to play in this Sundays highly anticipated game against the Broncos. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Bowe will have his case handled by the court system before the NFL or Chiefs can impose any disciplinary actions.

Bowe is also lucky that he wasn’t charged with DUI (driving under the influence) of marijuana. Technically, the officer could have investigated the 29-year-old for DUI since Bowe verbally admitted to smoking “a little weed” and the officer smelled recently smoked marijuana inside car.

Since his arrest, Bowe has released a short apology statement to the public, “I apologize to the Hunt Family, Coach Reid, my teammates and Chiefs fans for the distraction I have caused the team this week… Due to the nature of the pending matter, I am unable to make any further comment on the situation.”

In Washington State, it will be legal on December 6th 2013 for all persons age 21 and older to possess any combination of: one ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces of marijuana in solid form or 72 ounces in liquid form, according to the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

Written by S.O

DAVID O DEFENSE

Tag: driving under the influence of marijuana

NFL Player Dwayne Bowe Charged With Possession of Marijuana

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