Chantilly Marijuana DUI Lawyer

A person cannot drive under the influence of anything that would cause you to have your driving impaired, including marijuana and any kind of drugs for which there are state restrictions. Furthermore, because marijuana is not decriminalized in Virginia, an individual could also face charges even for the possession of marijuana. With this in mind, anyone accused of driving while under the influence of a drug should consult with a Chantilly marijuana DUI lawyer to discuss building a defense and ensure their legal rights were not violated. To get started on your defense or learn more about what you are facing, consult with a DUI drug lawyer in Chantilly today.

Testing For Marijuana

Marijuana DUI cases are different from alcohol-based cases only in that they are different cues for the officers to look for. It is not something that can be tested with a breathalyzer test. Marijuana DUIs are problematic because there is no standardized testing procedure for whether or not somebody is under the influence.  For example, if a person driving under the influence of marijuana and is asked to do field sobriety tests and blow a preliminary breath test, they would pass the PBT, but fail the field sobriety test. The indicators will be different than they would be for somebody who is driving under the influence of alcohol.

In the case that you are charged with a marijuana DUI, contact a marijuana DUI lawyer in Chantilly today to begin building a robust defense that targets the prosecution’s weaknesses.

Potential Penalties

The types of penalties for marijuana DUI or driving under the influence of drugs are exactly the same as the potential penalties for any other DUI charges. It is going to be a possible misdemeanor for the first two offenses, a person’s first and second DUI conviction. The consequences include up to $2,500 fine, up to a year in jail, and the loss of the driver’s license for a year for the first time. A person may potentially lose their license for longer for a second conviction within a certain period of time, making it important a marijuana DUI attorney in Chantilly is contacted as soon as possible.

Importance of an Attorney

It is important to hire an attorney who has familiarity with marijuana DUIs because they are going to provide you with the representation that is specific to your charge. Marijuana DUIs are handled, investigated, and defended differently than regular DUI cases.

So, individuals who have marijuana DUI cases are going to need a Chantilly marijuana DUI lawyer who is able to defend against the specific symptoms, signs, and effects of driving under the influence of marijuana as opposed to somebody who is driving under the influence of alcohol. There are different things that officers can look for and there are distinctions between individuals who are intoxicated versus individuals who are under the influence of marijuana. An attorney that has done this type of case before is going to know how to defend against it. A DUI lawyer that does just alcohol-based DUI cases will be at a severe disadvantage because they will not know how to articulate the problems of the prosecutor’s case to the judge or jury.