New York Governor Hochul rushes to figure out cannabis DUI detection as weed sales loom

Before retail licenses to sell marijuana continue to be issued in the state, Governor Kathy Hochul's administration is trying to develop a way to measure when motorists driving under the influence (DUI) of cannabis. There is no standard or valid test yet.

In looking for ways to detect motorists driving under the influence of marijuana, state health department officials said, "With the legalization of marijuana use cannabis by adults, there is concern about the increased incidence of impaired driving after cannabis use."

The department also researches the latest academic research related to cannabis testing. "The identification of drivers impaired by cannabis use is of crucial importance (...) However, unlike alcohol, there is currently no evidence-based method to detect impaired driving weakened by cannabis."

Health officials are investigating whether weed poisoning may be linked to car crashes.

What does the data say?

A recent study, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that in states where marijuana is legal, the rate of car crashes with injuries increased by nearly 6% and fatalities jumped 4%. %. The researchers found that there was no increase in accidents in states without legal marijuana. They compared five states where cannabis is legal: Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada with states without legal marijuana: Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Alcohol Mixed With Cannabis: Not A Good Idea

A separate survey found that "one-third of drivers who drink alcohol and use marijuana at the same time report getting behind the wheel of a car within two hours of consumption - a worrying finding as there is evidence that the combination of alcohol and pot impairs driving performance more than either substance on its own," said the president of the Institute for Highway Safety. , David Harkey.

"Cannabis stays in a person's system longer than alcohol, making it harder to link drinking and impaired driving," officials said . Additionally, the Marijuana Act required the DOH to issue a proposal to investigate ways to validly test for cannabis intoxication.

First Safe Roads, Then Recreational Marijuana Sales

"It's reckless. We had to fix the DWI issues before we legalized cannabis," said Patrick Phelan, executive director of the State Association of Chiefs of Police of Police. New York.

Association President Anthony Jordan of Upstate Washington County DA said, "Research into ways to keep our roads safe and Enforcing New York State's drug-impaired driving laws should have started in a serious way before recreational sales began.Meanwhile, there will be more marijuana-impaired motorists on our roads."

Anne Donnelly, DA of Nassau County, said "legal marijuana has already become a traffic safety issue. Wherever you go - on freeways or side streets - the smell of marijuana from a moving vehicle is common," Donnelly says.

Measures taken by Governor Hochul

Hochul Highway Safety Board, which includes the DMV, Department of Health Services. and state police all insist they are stepping up observation training and enforcement for DWI as legalization looms.

"Driving under the influence of cannabis remains illegal, and the Governor's Highway Safety Committee (GTSC) is committed to keeping our roads safe. The GTSC regularly trains officers to become drug recognition experts...so they can observe and document the signs and indicators of impairment in each of the seven classes of drugs, including cannabis," the doorman said. - Traffic committee spokesman Walter McClure in a statement.

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