How Minnesota authorities are handling high drivers in age of legal marijuana
MINNEAPOLIS — Last August, recreational marijuana became legal to use in Minnesota.
It's not legal to drive while high.
In Talking Points, Esme Murphy takes a look at how law enforcement is handling driving while high on cannabis.
Before marijuana was legalized in Minnesota, the state patrol and other law enforcement agencies repeatedly voiced their concern over how to determine if someone pulled over was high on cannabis.
Right now, there's not a state approved-roadside test that can determine if a driver is high on weed.
In January, Minnesota law enforcement agencies, including the state patrol, began a pilot program to try out a saliva test to detect cannabis and other illegal drugs.
The saliva tests are voluntary and so far more than 140 people have agreed to take them.
The Minnesota Sate Patrol has a new colonel in charge: Christina Bogojevic. The colonel was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning at 10:30 a.m.
"For us, it hasn't changed, because we have always looked for impairment and that is impairment from alcohol or from drugs or poly-use. And so for us, our troopers are still out there arresting DWIs," Bogojevic said.
The colonel also told us a saliva test, if proved reliable, would be a big help to troopers.
"Yes the saliva testing would be a quicker response over the blood tests," she said.
The Department of Public Safety is expected to file a report on the saliva tests in August.
The state patrol says it does not track cannabis-related impairment offenses, but reports that drug-related impaired driving is on the rise in Minnesota. The penalties for a marijuana DUI in the state are the same as the penalties for an alcohol DUI.
One county in Maryland has actually come up with a unique training method for law enforcement. They actually invite people to get high in front of officers, even providing snacks, so officers can see how people react when they are under the influence.
You can see Esme Murphy and Adam Del Rosso every Sunday 6 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.