ROCHESTER — Just because Minnesota became the
23rd state to legalize some recreational use of marijuana,
doesn’t mean people can get away with driving while under the influence.
While there will be some changes to which criminal cases will be investigated and prosecuted, when it comes to impaired driving, police will continue to do what they’ve done for years to keep impaired drivers off the road. Some are even raising concerns over a possible increase in drivers who are under the influence.
“It makes me sad that our society is willing to give up more deaths, serious injuries, minor injuries, and crashes in general just because a small element of our population willingly puts a foreign substance in their body and will then choose to drive,” said Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson.
Looking at other states like Colorado that legalized recreational use may give some insight into what might happen on Minnesota roads.
In Colorado, deaths involving a driver who tested above the legal limit for active THC increased 58% between 2020 and 2021,
according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Colorado legalized the recreational use of marijuana in 2012
but only began testing for drugs besides alcohol in 2019
.
According to CDOT,
10% of drivers convicted of a DUI had only THC in their system,
with alcohol being present…
