Cases of driving under the influence of drugs in the state of Pennsylvania are prosecuted similarly to drunk driving cases.
If you are pulled over and found with any measurable amount of an illegal drug in your system, or any amount of a prescription drug for which you do not have a prescription, you will automatically be charged under Pennsylvania law with the same penalties as the highest level of alcohol-intoxicated driving, regardless of whether alcohol was consumed in addition to the drugs.
In the State of Pennsylvania, you can be charged with driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) if you have five nanograms per milliliter of marijuana in your body. Due to the fact that marijuana can remain in your system for 30 days, you could be still charged with a DUID long after the effect of the drug has worn off.
If you are pulled over after having taken prescription or even over-the-counter medication, you can still be convicted for driving under the influence of drugs. This will depend on the officer’s observations of your behavior as well as your performance on the field sobriety test.
Common prescription drugs association with DUID:
Common over-the-counter drugs associated with DUID:
Penalties for conviction of driving under the influence of drugs, whether or not alcohol was involved:
First Offense
Second Offense
Third Offense
Fourth Offense
Other consequences of being convicted of DUID:
Avoiding these consequences is among the many reasons to contact an experienced DUID attorney.