The "420 Highliday"; beware the unanticipated DUI

 Yesterday I was reminded that many people were celebrating the 420 holiday. There were unofficial parties all over the country to celebrate.  I just hope they know that they can be charged with a Chicago DUI for driving after consuming weed.

That's right; 420 is an unoffical holiday marked by many people who smoke marijuana.   Yes, yesterday was Hitler's Birthday.  It was also the 10th Anniversary of the Columbine School tragedy. Many recognize April 20th first and foremost, however, as a day to indulge in cannabis consumption.

April 20, New York, New York

They will not be the only ones partaking: April 20 has long been an unofficial day of celebration for marijuana fans, an occasion for campus smoke-outs, concerts and cannabis festivals. But some advocates of legal marijuana say this year’s “high holiday” carries extra significance as they sense increasing momentum toward acceptance of the drug, either as medicine or entertainment.

Long stigmatized as political poison, the marijuana movement has found new allies in prominent politicians, including Representatives Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Ron Paul, Republican of Texas, who co-wrote a bill last year to decrease federal penalties for possession and to give medical users new protections.

The bill failed, but with the recession prompting bulging budget deficits, some legislators in California and Massachusetts have gone further, suggesting that the drug could be legalized and taxed, a concept that has intrigued even such ideologically opposed pundits as Glenn Beck of Fox News and Jack Cafferty of CNN.

Even if weed is decriminalized, I don't think that will substantially change the ability to be charged with a Chicago DUI if one is celebrating on 420 or any other day.