A judge wrote that “dogs trained to alert on cannabis can no longer provide the sole basis for a stop or search.”

Tampa Bay Times

Tampa

Hillsborough County

Florida

United States

Florida marijuana case could change police searches of vehicles

In what could be a first-of-its-kind ruling in Florida, an appeals court Tuesday said a drug-sniffing dog's alert did not justify police searching a car because the dog could not differentiate between medical marijuana and illegal pot.

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NBC Miami

Roberts family

HM Capital Partners

Miami

Miami-Dade County

Florida appeals court says drug-sniffing dog's alert doesn't justify police car search

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Times Publishing Company

In a decision that could significantly impact police searches in Florida, a state appeals court has ruled that a drug-sniffing dog’s alert to the presence of marijuana cannot, on its own, justify a warrantless search of a vehicle. The ruling, issued Tuesday by the 5th…  Florida Court Ruling: Drug-Sniffing Dogs Can’t Justify Searches Based On Marijuana Scent Alone

The Free Press (Tampa)

Florida Court Ruling: Drug-Sniffing Dogs Can't Justify Searches Based On Marijuana Scent Alone

By Jim Saunders The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal in a Lake County case could add complexity to police searching vehicles without obtaining warrants. The case stemmed from a Groveland police officer in September 2020 stopping a Lyft car for speeding and tag lights that weren’t working. The officer subsequently called for a drug-sniffing dog, Polo, which alerted to the presence of drugs when it walked around th…

Santa Rosas Press Gazette

Pot ruling affects police searches | Santa Rosa Press Gazette

By Jim Saunders ©2025 The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — In what could be a first-of-its-kind ruling in Florida, an appeals court Tuesday said a drug-sniffing dog’s alert did not justify police searching a car because the dog could not differentiate between medical marijuana and illegal pot. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal in a Lake County case could add complexity to police searching vehicles without…

WMNF

Pot ruling affects police searches in Florida

In what could be the first ruling of its kind in Florida, an appeals court Tuesday said a drug-sniffing dog‘s alert did not justify police searching a car because the dog could not differentiate between medical marijuana and illegal pot. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal in a Lake County case could add complexity to police searching vehicles without obtaining warrants. The case stemmed from a Groveland police …

Jacksonville Today

Court restricts vehicle searches when police dog sniffs pot

TALLAHASSEE — In what could be a first-of-its-kind ruling in Florida, an appeals court Tuesday said a drug-sniffing dog’s alert did not justify police searching a car because the dog

paxtonmedia.com

Searcy

White County

Arkansas

TALLAHASSEE — In what could be a first-of-its-kind ruling in Florida, an appeals court Tuesday said a drug-sniffing dog's alert did not justify police searching a car because the dog could not differentiate between medical marijuana and illegal pot.

News Service of Florida

Tallahassee

Leon County

Pot Ruling Affects Police Searches

A Florida appeals court ruled this week that because drug detection K9s utilized by police are incapable of distinguishing between illegal cannabis products and legal products like medical marijuana or hemp products, a drug-sniffing dog's alert to the presence of drugs is not enough to justify a vehicle search, according to the News Service of Florida. The case covered a September 2020 traffic stop during which a Groveland police officer stopped…

newsbudz.com

Court Says Alerts by Drug Dogs Trained on Cannabis No Longer Justify Police Searches

Appeals court rules drug dog's alert insufficient for car search over marijuana distinction 
Image     Cannabis News January 9, 2025  
TALLAHASSEE — In what could be a first-of-its-kind ruling in Florida, an appeals court Tuesday said a drug-sniffing dog's alert did not justify police searching a car because the dog could not differentiate between medical marijuana and illegal pot. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th  
Recreational Mari…

Florida marijuana case could change police searches of vehicles

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