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Pot head loses comp bid

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A worker who smoked a marijuana joint before climbing a tree must have forgotten he was about ten feet off the ground, literally.

He looked like he “stepped into thin air” before dropping to the ground, a witness in his workers compensation case testified.

A urine sample taken at the hospital the day after the Tennessee man fell showed he had an intoxicant level 50 times beyond the threshold for a positive result, leading a doctor to describe him as a chronic pot user, according to a ruling in the case of Daniel Boyd Davidson vs. Business Personnel Solutions .

When asked at trial what caused the fall, Mr. Davidson couldn’t offer an explanation. Perhaps he forgot.

Court records indicate a supervisor had ordered him not to climb trees while removing limbs from a job site because he did not have the proper safety equipment.

A trial court concluded that impaired vision, reduced reaction time, and a lack of memory and awareness due to marijuana use caused his fall and injuries.

The worker appealed, arguing that the trial court erred in finding that he was intoxicated and that intoxication caused his injuries.

But the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Panel handed the employer an early Christmas present by upholding the lower court’s ruling.

And speaking of the holidays, may this year’s be the best ever for you.