Mark Roman | January 30, 2015 | Car Accidents

As many Floridians know, a ballot initiative to allow medical marijuana failed in last November’s election. The initiative was actually favored by a majority of Florida voters, but it failed to reach the 60-percent threshold required for approval.

However, lawmakers in Tallahassee are considering a change in law which would allow something similar. Under the terms of the new law, a physician could prescribe medical marijuana to a patient to provide pain relief under some limited circumstances. If the law passes, it will do many of the same things as November’s failed initiative.

While many Florida voters believe this would be a good thing, it could create a dilemma in auto accident cases. One of the biggest no-nos in the auto accident world is driving while intoxicated. Courts frown upon driving while intoxicated so strongly that it is grounds for criminal prosecution and a punitive damage claim against an at-fault driver.

In cases involving alcohol, blood or breath testing is considered highly reliable. That’s because the body eliminates alcohol hour by hour after someone drinks. If one has alcohol in their system, it’s a safe bet they consumed it close to the time when they were tested. Because testing usually occurs within a few hours of a crash, it’s also a safe bet that the person drove with alcohol in their system.

Things aren’t so simple with marijuana. The residue of marijuana consumption can linger for several days or even weeks after marijuana is used. That means a person who uses marijuana on Saturday afternoon can test positive for it when they drive home from work “clean” the following Wednesday evening. The residue itself is not intoxicating, and thus, the presence of residue in one’s body does not tell us the person was impaired when they drove. The residue is just a metabolic by-product which works it way out of the body much more slowly than liquor.

People who are accused of causing accidents aren’t the only ones who will face this. Injured people might also be accused of being intoxicated at the time of an accident, and contributing to the accident because of their intoxication. Third parties whose vehicles were also involved in the accident might be blamed as well.

This is not a new problem. People used marijuana since before cars even existed. However, if medical marijuana is made legal in Florida, there will be cases where someone consumes marijuanalegally and still faces the blame game after an accident. This is already happening in states like Colorado and Washington where marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized.

Courts are constantly grappling with changes in laws and social norms. We can expect to hear more about this issue as Florida, along with many other states, relaxes its prohibition of marijuana use. In the meantime, people should remember that marijuana use leaves a telltale trail which lingers long after the high is gone.

Contact the Clearwater Car Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today

For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Clearwater. We have four convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.

We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
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Tampa, FL 33615
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New Port Richey, FL, 34655
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