May 16, 2012
Preliminary approval has been given to a bill that would make it easier to convict people in Colorado of driving while stoned, reports the Denver Post.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Steve King, has said that stoned driving is quickly on the rise in Colorado, with drivers whose blood tests positive for THC going from several hundred in 2009 to more than 1,000 in 2011.
Filed as Senate Bill 117, the measure would stipulate a level of THC in the blood above which it would be illegal to drive. Lawmakers cite previous studies that indicate those with a THC level above 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood are impaired.
Opponents of the bill have argued that the 5-nanogram limit is too low for many medical marijuana patients, while others say that because it’s currently illegal to have any level of THC in the bloodstream it’s important to set a standard.
After the marijuana measure was shelved thanks to a standoff over civil unions, it was believed that the bill had been killed for a year. But according to TheDenverChannel.com, Governor John Hickenlooper announced on Thursday that the bill will now move on to the special session call.
The Denver car accident Lawyers at McDivitt Law Firm are serious about sober driving. Each year our firm provides free sober rides to Denver residents on St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, New Year’s Eve, and Cinco de Mayo. Since 2007, we’ve given a total of 7,000 free rides as part of our Safe and Sober ride campaign.
