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Colorado Marijuana DUIs: Marijuana Use Suspected in 1 in 8 CSP DUI Arrests

March 16, 2015

According to new data from CSP, about 12 percent of DUI arrests made by CSP in 2014 were alleged Colorado marijuana DUIs. Contact us for the best DUI defense.

Of all of the DUI arrests made by Colorado State Patrol (CSP) officers last year, about 1 in every 8 of these arrests involved alleged marijuana use, according to recently released data. Put in other terms, this means that more than 12 percent of CSP DUI arrests for 2014 were for alleged Colorado marijuana DUIs.

According to officials, this represents the first set of data for a year’s look at the incidence of alleged stoned driving in the state. As Colorado law enforcement officials, as well as transportation safety regulators, continue to evaluate the impacts of legalizing recreational pot on roadway safety, data like this will continue to be collected and analyzed in an effort to curb Colorado marijuana DUIs, CSP officials have noted.

Colorado Marijuana DUIs: Continued Assessment & Enforcement Efforts

While CSP’s data regarding Colorado marijuana DUIs is important and noteworthy, officials have been quick to qualify these statistics, noting that much more information needs to be compiled and reviewed in order to get a clearer picture of the prevalence of Colorado marijuana DUIs.

In particular, some of the additional info regarding Colorado marijuana DUIs that officials will now be focused on trying to collect include:

Numbers from local law enforcement agencies and state sheriffs’ departments related to DUI arrests with suspected marijuana use
BACs for Colorado marijuana DUIs
Conviction rates for Colorado marijuana DUIs – This may prove to be the most difficult information to compile because Colorado criminal courts do not currently differentiate between alcohol and/or drug DUI cases in court records.

As officials continue tracking Colorado marijuana DUIs, they will also be intent on training more traffic officers to be drug recognition experts (DREs). According to CSP, 61 of its troopers are current DREs.

As Amy Ford, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), noted in a statement regarding the CSP’s data, “we won’t be satisfied until everyone in Colorado takes driving high seriously, so the need for awareness and education is paramount.”

Denver and Boulder Metro Area DUI Lawyer at the Griffin Law Firm

Have you been charged with drunk or drugged driving? If so, you can turn to the Denver and Boulder Metro Area DUI lawyer at Griffin Law Firm for experienced help and the best possible defense. With more than 18 years’ experience in the criminal justice system, our attorney understand the complexities of the system, the challenges different defendants can face and the best ways of overcoming these challenges to bring criminal cases to successful resolutions.

To receive a complete evaluation of your case, along with professional advice regarding your best options, contact us by calling (303) 280-1070 or by emailing us using the contact form at the top of this page. From our offices based in Westminster, we provide the highest quality defense services to people throughout the state of Colorado.