Drugged Driving in Hamilton County, Indiana
Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of drugged driving arrests in Hamilton County, Indiana. There has also been an increase in the percentage of drugged driving arrests as a percentage of overall arrests for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated. The usual suspects are heroin, meth, and THC, with THC becoming ever more prominent as marijuana legalization took legal effect in Illinois and Michigan within the past year.
People really need to be aware of the dangers of driving after consuming THC in any form, whether by traditional smoking, vaping or by edibles. Today’s THC content is radically higher than the THC of two or three decades ago. The quick reaction time is adversely affected by marijuana usage. So is the quick decision-making ability of the person who just consumed marijuana. Think for a moment about a child darting out from behind a car into the roadway. It could just as easily be a person who has headphones on or who is distracted. It is difficult enough to have to stop your car in time to avoid running over that person who just ran right into the road, not even looking where they are going. But how are you going to stop your car and avoid running over that person, when you have just consumed THC-infused edibles, or vaped, or otherwise smoked weed? Your reaction time has been compromised.
The person who has used marijuana and now has fresh THC in their system has a difficult enough time driving a vehicle with the proper care and defensive driving. If you add to that “buzz” some alcohol, you now have a level of impairment that is much higher than the sum of the parts. Your reaction is significantly compromised; you should not be driving in this condition. If you had to stop or swerve suddenly after using marijuana and alcohol very recently, it will not go well for you–or for the person or animal that you just ran over.
The best way to avoid this from happening is to not smoke weed or otherwise consume it in any way. For those of you who are going to use marijuana/THC anyway, then do not drive. Sleep it off just as if you would sleep off alcohol. Think about it: would you drive drunk on alcohol? Then do not drive under the influence of marijuana. It won’t end well for anyone.
If you have been recently arrested for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OVWI) or Operating a Vehicle With a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance in your Body, contact Johnson Law Office, P.C. We provide legal representation for people accused of crimes in Central Indiana, with particular emphasis on Hamilton County arrests.