In Washington, the legal alcohol limit is .08 for adults. For minors (under the age of 21) it is .02. But Washington State also has a marijuana limit now.
If you’re a minor and you have any active THC in your system, it’s a per-se that you’re guilty of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana. For adults, the legal limit is five nano-grams of active THC.
If you’re an adult and you have under five active nano-grams, you may not need to worry so much. But if you are a minor, smoked a few hours before being pulled over and submitting to the blood test, you are at risk. Many people ask me how long they should wait after smoking pot before driving their car. It all depends on whether or not you are a habitual user, along with a few other factors. Some say that three hours is enough of a waiting period, but others disagree. Some recommend that habitual users wait ten hours to drive to avoid the risks.
What if you have a medical marijuana card?
Individuals are allowed to carry and maintain medical marijuana cards here in the State of Washington, but that does not get rid of the legal limits that have been set by the legislature. You are still required to abide by the set limitations while operating a vehicle. Even if you have a medical marijuana card, you still can be driving impaired, and if you show those signs of impairment, you can be charged with a DUI.