Driving On Weed: This Company Offers Criminal, DUI Defense Insurance For Cannabis Consumers

Cannabis consumers face the constant risk of getting slapped with a DUI, even if they're not high while driving. This relates to the amount of time cannabis stays in our system, well after its psychotropic effects are gone.

Now, one company is seeking to provide a solution for cannabis consumers and patients.

What’s Reepher?

Reepher provides criminal and DUI defense insurance for cannabis consumers.

If you’re charged with a cannabis misdemeanor, reepher will help cover the costs associated with defending yourself and navigating through the justice system. Plans start at $15 a month.

Justin Kahn, founder and CEO of reepher, explained the why behind his project. “Every cannabis user who eats, smokes or even uses topical products that's driving, has stuff in their body that could cause a prosecutor to charge them with a DUI if a police officer has some kind of suspicion they are driving under the influence. And those reasons are all over the place, from driving over a curb to rolling through a stop sign - like normal traffic violations,” he said.

And Kahn added, “There is a threshold for blood alcohol intoxication. A cannabis DUI is similar to an alcohol DUI, but the determining factor is not like booze. For cannabis, the problem is twofold. THC is in your system for a long time. So, they have to rely heavily on the opinions of the police…. Where there is even a bigger disconnect is that cannabis consumers didn't know that as a regular cannabis user, they would fail a drug test. They think that if they have a medical card, they are safe. ‘I use marijuana legally, so I’m safe from a DUI’ or ‘I have a medical card’ or ‘It’s legal in my state.’”

Photo by Elsa Olofsson on Unsplash