DUI and Illegal/Street Drugs (non-prescription)

The legal limit of alcohol for most drivers in Nevada is .08. Did you know that there is also a legal limit for the amount of illegal drugs you may have in your system while driving? That's right, there are actual maximum amounts of cocaine, heroin, LSD, marijuana, methamphetamine, and/or phencyclidine that you are prohibited from consuming prior to driving. In fact, if testing shows that you are under these limits, you may have a valid defense to a DUI charge.

The amounts you may have of each drug depend on whether you submitted to a blood or urine test and are as follows:

                                                                 Urine                           Blood
Illegal Drug                                              Nanograms                 Nanograms
                                                               per milliliter               per milliliter
 
      (a) Amphetamine                                  500                               100
      (b) Cocaine                                           150                                50
      (c) Cocaine metabolite                          150                                50
      (d) Heroin                                             2,000                             50
      (e) Heroin metabolite            

(1) Morphine                                              2,000                            50                           
             (2) 6-monoacetyl morphine           10                                 10  
     
(f) Lysergic acid diethylamide                       25                                 10
      (g) Marijuana                                          10                                  2
      (h) Marijuana metabolite                        15                                   5
      (i) Methamphetamine                             500                              100
      (j) Phencyclidine                                     25                                 10

Generally, metabolite is the substance(s) your body produces after a drug is ingested. Metabolites are prohibited even if there is no detection of the underlying drug. This is because metabolites arguably indicate that you were under the influence of the underlying drug at the time of driving.

There are many defenses to DUI with illegal drug cases, and the field sobriety testing or lack of it can be a key component of your defense. If you were arrested after you were alleged to have taken an illegal drug while you were driving, call us now to discuss your case.