Driving under the influence of prescription medication or other controlled dangerous substances, also known as drug DUI or drug DWI, is a serious charge and could result in numerous penalties, fines and court-imposed costs. While medicinal marijuana is slowly gaining acceptance in various locations throughout the United States, illegal possession or use of this drug — known variously as weed or cannabis — is still grounds for an arrest.
As Union County drunk driving defense lawyers, I and my colleagues understand how New Jersey state law applies to motorists arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or driving while impaired due to use of prescription or other CDS drugs. When it comes to marijuana and driving, there are frequent instances of police arrests that are related to this substance as well. The following is a sampling of DWI and drug DUI and possession arrests that happened in Cranford, NJ, not long ago.
Based on information from the Cranford Police Department, a 21-year-old motorist was arrested for allegedly having less than 50 grams of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia in man’s vehicle. According to police reports, an officer observed a vehicle on North Ave. in the late afternoon that allegedly had an object dangling from the rearview mirror obstructing the windshield. When the driver failed to turn on his headlamps on along with his windshield wipers, the officer apparently pulled the man over for a traffic violation. In the process, the patrolman noticed evidence of the drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. The Newark resident was not only charged with the drug violations, but also received summonses for the object hanging off his mirror and not using his headlights.
On a separate occasion, a Cranford officer stopped a vehicle around 1:30am at a motor vehicle checkpoint set up along Elise Street near Johnson Ave. The initial traffic violation was due to a defective rear brake lamp, but upon further investigation the patrolman apparently detected evidence of drugs in the vehicle. The passengers of the vehicle were all arrested on drug charges, including the 18-year-old driver, who was charged with possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Another drug possession arrest happened on a Wednesday morning at another vehicle checkpoint when a police officer observed a Pontiac Grand Am with apparently heavily tinted windows. Following routine questioning, the officer charged the 18-year-old driver with drug possession.
Police & Fire Cranford Police Charge Eight Drivers With Marijuana Possession, Patch.com, October 5, 2010