Drivers who light up and get behind the wheel face serious consequences
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. (WCCU) — Just like drivers can be stopped and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, the same applies to drivers who have smoked marijuana.
Driving under the influence of any kind of drug is illegal, that includes marijuana, which is legal in Illinois for medicinal purposes.
If state police suspect a driver is impaired, they will pull that person over and conduct a standardized field sobriety test - that could be standing on one leg or a horizontal gaze test.
Once state police believe that driver is under the influence, that person will be taken for chemical testing at a hospital or jail.
State police can ask for a breath, blood and a urine test and the driver is required to comply.
Even though the driver may have a prescription for marijuana, they are not exempt.
Illinois law states that a person who has five nanograms per millimeter of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main ingredient in marijuana) in their blood or 10 nanograms of THC in any other bodily substance like urine, then they are considered under the influence.
If a driver is arrested for driving under the influence and refuses chemical testing, their driving privileges can be suspended for 12 months.
State police tell me they've stopped many drivers for driving under the influence of marijuana when they're out in the streets.
A DUI can cost a driver an average of $10,000.
