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When Prescription Meds Lead to a Drug Arrest

When Prescription Meds Lead to a Drug Arrest

In Oklahoma, even legal use of a prescription medication can lead to a drug arrest. The strict laws here state that any impairment caused by prescription meds could give police grounds to arrest you if you are driving. Oklahoma law prohibits driving while intoxicated and driving while impaired by certain substances. There are two laws that explain the prohibitions. One says that driving while “under the influence of any intoxicating substance other than alcohol which may render such person incapable of safely driving or operating a motor vehicle” is illegal. 47 O.S. § 11-902. Prescription drugs could be intoxicating substances. In...

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Is It Possible for Marijuana to Impair Your Driving?

Is It Possible for Marijuana to Impair Your Driving?

With passage of the new medical marijuana law in Oklahoma, more Oklahomans may soon be using marijuana legally. This raises concerns among law enforcement about impaired driving, and concerns among ordinary citizens about unnecessary roadside arrests when people are not actually “impaired”. Oklahoma has strict DWI laws that prohibit any “impaired” driving, even if you are impaired because of a legal drug and have a prescription. Driving erratically after using marijuana is no exception. Substances that could impair you include those that are “capable of being ingested, inhaled, injected or absorbed into the human body and are capable of adversely affecting...

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There Is No Reliable Test for DUI Marijuana

There Is No Reliable Test for DUI Marijuana

It’s true: there is no reliable test for DUI marijuana. While police can observe drivers for signs of impairment, no blood or breath test can show accurately whether a person is so impaired by marijuana as to make driving unsafe. The reason marijuana concentration in the body cannot be tested reliably lies in science. The ethanol in alcohol dissolves in water, and human bodies are mostly water. Ethanol concentration in the body reduces quickly over time. In contrast, the THC in marijuana is fat-soluble and does not dissolve in water. It can remain in the body for weeks. A recent study...

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What Is a DWI in Oklahoma, and Is It Different from a DUI?

What Is a DWI in Oklahoma, and Is It Different from a DUI?

People throw around the terms “DUI” and “DWI” frequently when talking about drinking and driving. But is there a difference between a DUI and a DWI in Oklahoma, and what do those terms mean? DUI means driving under the influence of an intoxicating or impairing substance. DWI means driving while intoxicated or driving while impaired. Sometimes people use DUI to refer to alcohol intoxication, while they use DWI to refer to being under the influence of drugs or other substances. In Oklahoma, these two terms are often used interchangeably. Some people use DUI to refer to a “per se” drunk driving...

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