CAPE CORAL, Fla. — CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- As fans of cannabis use prepare to celebrate the unofficial national weed day on 4/20, officers will be on vigilant patrol to detect and arrest impaired drivers.
Cape Coral Police say they will be conducting a traffic operation called "Operation 4/20" throughout the weekend. But officers are not going to be looking just for cannabis impaired drivers; they will be looking for impaired driving on any substance, including alcohol.
They urge drivers to plan ahead by setting up your transportation. That includes using a sober designated driver, or alternate transportation like Uber, Lyft, taxis, and public transportation.
Police say in 2016, drug-impaired drivers caused 934 crashes, killing 440 people, including themselves, their passengers, and others on Florida roads.
The significance of the number 420 in weed culture is believed to have been traced to a California high school in 1971, where a group of students organized to meet at 4:20 to partake in smoking. Since then, the number 420 has grown to become a symbol in the marijuana community.
Officers remind drivers that even though cannabis is legalized either medicinally or for recreational purposes in many states, it is still against the law in all 50 states to drive under the influence of cannabis.
