Robert Watson, a Republican lawmaker from Rhode Island was arrested for possession of marijuana after being stopped at a checkpoint. Watson, the majority leader in the Rhode Island house, was asked to step down from his position.
In April, Watson was arrested in East Haven, Connecticut after a police officer noticed the smell of alcohol and marijuana coming from his vehicle. He performed poorly during a field sobriety test. Police charged Watson with drunk driving and marijuana possession.
The RI house member claimed the marijuana was to treat pain associated with pancreatitis which caused him to be hospitalized. Rhode Island has a medical marijuana law but Watson didn’t have a prescription. He wanted to keep his marijuana use private so he never legally obtained a prescription.
In spite of being asked to leave his house majority position, Watson will keep his seat in the house.
The use of marijuana is becoming more common in the US both for recreational and medicinal purposes. Driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana is illegal and will necessitate the representation of a DUI lawyer.
Marijuana and alcohol can seriously affect a person’s ability to drive any vehicle so police checkpoints are necessary to keep the roads safe for other motorists. Hiring a DUI attorney can be an asset to a drunken or drugged driving charge. People who break the DUI laws can be harshly punished, but a DUI lawyer may be able to reduce the severity of penalties.
