Ohio recently joined multiple other states in the country when it legalized marijuana for medical use. While the bill goes into effect in September 2016, it will be some time before marijuana can be sold in Ohio. Until then, patients will have to go to another state where marijuana use is legal to buy it.
The passage of House Bill 523 legalizes the use only for medical purposes and it is possible that many people will qualify to use it. Considering this, it is not far-fetched to believe that it won’t be long before someone legally using medical marijuana is arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.
Implications for Drivers in Ohio Once Marijuana is Legal
While it may be people to use the drug legally, it is still illegal to drive while impaired. Following the legalization of marijuana, Ohio law enforcement expects that more people will take to the roads after using it. It stands to follow that the number of crashes involving motor vehicles will increase as well. It is possible these crashes could result in serious injuries to those involved.
Enforcement Challenges
Police can use breathalyzers to determine a person’s blood level alcohol lever with a fair degree of accuracy. However, there is not any similar technology for driver’s suspected of driving under the influence of pot. Instead, urine or blood tests could be administered to drivers suspected of drug-impaired driving that fail a sobriety test.
When the negligent act of driving while impaired by a drug leads to a crash that results in injuries it may make sense to take legal action against the responsible party. Generally, the sooner a personal injury lawyer is contacted in these situations, the better.
