Free shuttles and ride-hail credits will be available to those who plan to partake in Denver’s April 20 celebration of cannabis culture this weekend.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Colorado for close to a quarter-century, and especially since recreational pot was legalized in 2012, the end-of-April festivities have become more public and popular, including the Mile High 420 Festival in downtown Denver’s Civic Center park.
Colorado Department of Transportation representatives will again rub elbows with vendors at this year’s festival, hosting a booth where visitors will be able to claim ride credits.
CDOT is also partnering with The Cannabis Experience to offer free shuttle services through the downtown area from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, with stops at 14th Avenue and Lincoln Street, Larimer Square and the Colorado Convention Center.
A survey of close to 1,000 budtenders and other industry employees in Colorado conducted by CDOT indicates cannabis users are largely unaware of how long they should wait between consuming the drug and driving. The responses were gathered as part of an online course offered to budtenders by the agency and educational platform Learn Brands.
“Many respondents believe their customers were unaware of how long it takes for the impairing effects of cannabis to wear off before it is safe to drive,” CDOT wrote in a news release.
“Course participants expressed their surprise at how long the impairing effects can last and believed that the general public is largely unaware of this as well,” according to the release.
Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment advises users wait at least six hours after smoking 35 milligrams of THC and eight hours after eating or drinking up to 18 milligrams of THC.
Drivers who get behind the wheel while impaired by any amount of a drug, including cannabis, can face criminal charges in Colorado. Arrestees whose blood contains 5 or more nanograms of active THC per milliliter may be charged with DUI.
More information about the CDOT survey and the risks of driving under the influence of marijuana is available on the agency’s website.
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