The 320 Movement – Are you in the know?
In just a few short days, cannabis enthusiasts from across the nation will celebrate 420 with festivals, rallies, and parties in what has become a counterculture holiday in North America. Denver boasts home to the world’s first and largest 420 marijuana rally and cultural festival and is expecting another large turnout this year.
In anticipation of these upcoming events, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has partnered with Lyft to launch the 320 Movement – a movement to plan a ride before you’re high. Since March 20, the movement has been distributing free and discounted Lyft rides and will continue the freebies leading up to the celebrations to encourage marijuana users to always plan ahead for a safe, sober ride.
The goal? To make 320 synonymous with safety like 420 is synonymous with having a good time.
If you live in the Mile High City, you may have seen Lyft’s one-of-a-kind vehicles wrapped with green “plan a ride before you’re high” messaging. There are only 17 of these cars on the road for a reason. 17 percent of Colorado State Patrol DUI arrests last year involved marijuana. According to a 2016 survey conducted by CDOT, 55 percent of marijuana users said they believed it was safe to drive under the influence of marijuana. An alarming statistic given the fact that marijuana affects reaction time, judgment, motor skills and perception of time and distance.
Driving while high is illegal and can land you a DUI just like with alcohol that can cost you more than $13,500, in addition to jail time. CDOT and Lyft want to encourage cannabis users to treat consumption just like drinking and always “plan a ride before you’re high.” And it’s easy to schedule a ride with Lyft.
If you order a Lyft and one of these specially branded cars picks you up, you will receive a discount up to $10 on your next ride. In addition, a limited number of codes for discounted rides will be released online at 320movement.com every Sunday at 3:20 p.m. leading up to 4/20.
Ride-Sharing Saves Lives
"There is no question that ride-sharing is saving lives," said Lyft General Manager Gabe Cohen. "Studies have shown the availability of services like Lyft can reduce alcohol-related driving arrests by up to 51 percent. We believe, with proactive public awareness campaigns like this one and convenient and affordable transportation like Lyft, we can begin to reduce the number of Coloradans driving under the influence of marijuana. That is why we are so proud to partner with CDOT and to help them lead the way on this important public safety initiative."
The partnership with Lyft is part of CDOT’s Drive High, Get a DUI campaign, which aims to educate drivers about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana, with the goal of reducing the number of drug-related DUIs, traffic crashes and fatalities. For more information on marijuana-impaired driving, visit the CDOT website.