A motorist operating a car or boat could be arrested for driving under the influence, under a measure filed by state Rep. David Silvers, D-West Palm Beach.
The “Driving under the Influence of Drugs Act” (HB 237) would make operating a boat with a blood level of delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol per milliliter of blood — as shown by an analysis of the person's blood — the same as having a blood-alcohol content of .08 or more of alcohol.
Euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, is the active chemical in marijuana.
Under current Florida law, the driver of a car or boat found with a blood-alcohol content at or above .08 faces a fine between $500 and $1,000, along with a six month jail term, on the first offense.
There is no mention in Silvers' measure — which doesn't yet have a Senate companion — of how the blood test would be administered.
The proposal comes after Florida voters in November overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for patients with a broad swath of medical conditions.
The amendment went into effect on Jan. 3.
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