Dale City Marijuana DUI Lawyer

Marijuana-related drug DUI cases in Dale City are easier for officers to identify when a person is pulled over because the smell of marijuana is so distinctive. While individuals may be able to ingest pills or other types of illegal drugs without there being any outward lingering evidence, this is not the case for marijuana due to its strong scent. Because marijuana arrests are so common, officers are usually very well-trained to pick up its scent and identify its appearance. If a person has been charged with a marijuana-related drug DUI they should contact an experienced Dale City marijuana DUI lawyer.

When a person takes marijuana the smell of the smoke usually lingers after initial use. The scent lingers on the users clothes and/or in their vehicle if they have been smoking in said vehicle recently. It is because of these tell-tall signs that police officers in Dale City are able to carryout an arrest.

Indicators of Marijuana

In addition, because marijuana is so common, officers have been able to perform many arrests on individuals who are smoking the drug in public. Their observations of individuals who do smoke marijuana are confirmed by their subsequent arrests and reinforced when they find marijuana on that person. Overtime, many officers develop experience in observing certain characteristics that an individual who is smoking marijuana displays. A marijuana DUI lawyer in Dale City can help identify what signs were used to charge the individual, and how those are disputable.

Some of the identifiable signs that police officers have become familiar with when determining whether or not a  person has been driving under the influence of marijuana include:

• Bloodshot eyes
• Slow or delayed responses to questions
• Divided attention
• Poor task management

These are all indicators that Dale City officers have been able to distinguish through their experience in the field. The above signs make the process of determining whether or not somebody is under the influence of marijuana easier. When coupled with the smell of marijuana, these signs usually makes the arrest process fairly straightforward. The combination of identifiable signs of marijuana use and the lingering scent of marijuana usually gives police officers the probable cause that they need to charge someone in a Marijuana DUI case.

The Severity of Marijuana DUI Charges

As far as there being different levels of punishment and severity for drug DUI’s based on the drug in question, all drugs in Dale City are seen as equal. Currently, Virginia law does not contemplate the different levels of severity for different types of DUI drug offenses. While this element exists in alcohol-related DUI cases where the severity of an individual’s charges are based on their BAC level, that does not exist for drug DUIs.

With this in mind, a Marijuana-related DUI offense is going to be treated the same way as a heroin DUI offense or cocaine DUI offense. In certain instances, if a judge is given information about the type of drug a person was using when they were charged and the drug itself is deemed a serious drug, the judge may take that into consideration when they are sentencing an individual.

This information would only be used to prove whether or not someone is guilty or for the purposes of determining mandatory minimums/potential punishment. In the end, the charges that accompany a marijuana-related drug DUI will be just as severe as a heroin-related drug DUI. As such, it is vital to contact a marijuana DUI attorney in Dale City right away to begin building a defense.