DUI Detail in Proposed Washington State Legalization Initiative Sparks Debate Among Marijuana Supporters

Marijuana legalization proponents are at odds with each other over the issue of driving — driving under the influence, that is.

Washington state's current proposal to legalize marijuana would set the threshold for driving under the influence of pot at five nanograms of THC per millimeter of blood. However, many medical marijuana patients and stoners are finding their blood levels are normally at least twice the legal threshold.

Proponents of the initiative believe the historic nature of the Washington being the first state to legalize marijuana outweighs the details regarding the DUI issue.

 "It's just not reality that officers will start pulling over people randomly, illegally arresting them, and taking them in to get blood draws," Alison Holcomb, campaign director for New Approach Washington, the political action committee behind the initiative, told the Seattle Weekly.

 But marijuana users face the possibility of never getting their THC under the proposed law's threshold, even after staying away from weed for extended periods. Research shows that THC levels go up to over 50 nanograms with one hit of pot, with detectable levels of the chemical lingering in the blood long after that.