Minnesota Police Train for Roadside Cannabis Tests
- Starting January 5, Minnesota law enforcement agencies will receive training on roadside tests to determine if drivers are under the influence of drugs. This training is part of a pilot project enacted by the state legislature after the legalization of recreational marijuana.
- The pilot project involves training Drug Recognition Evaluators with an oral fluid instrument that can detect the presence of cannabis or other drugs in a driver’s system. Currently, there is no available roadside test for cannabis similar to a breathalyzer for alcohol.
- The goal of the pilot program is to collect data and gain legislative approval by 2025 to use this type of roadside testing as a tool to enforce arrests for drug-impaired drivers. However, the results gathered from these tests during the pilot will not be admissible in court.
Minnesota Launches Drug-Impaired Driving Tests Pilot Project
From January 5, Minnesota law enforcement are being prepared to conduct roadside tests to identify drug-impaired drivers. This initiative is part of a pilot project launched by the state legislature after the legalization of recreational marijuana last summer.
Currently, there’s no instant roadside test for cannabis, unlike a breathalyzer for alcohol detection. However, Drug Recognition Evaluators will be trained to use an oral fluid instrument that can detect cannabis and other drugs in drivers.
The pilot program’s findings won’t be used in court. Instead, the aim is to seek legislative approval by 2025 to use this road-side tool for drug-impaired driving arrests.
Duluth Police confirmed that they have two officers trained as Drug Recognition Evaluators. One of them will go to the Twin Cities to receive training on the new instrument as part of this pilot program.
For more information on this innovative approach to impaired driving detection, download the Northern News Now app or the Northern News Now First Alert weather app.
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