State to seek volunteers to consume cannabis
To combat a recent uptick in impaired drivers, the state is planning to start a “green lab” program in which volunteers will consume cannabis and then take part in various sobriety tests to refine drug detection skills of police, according to the state Department of Transportation.
With the program still in the planning phases, few details — including the method of cannabis consumption — were available, but the DOT plans to solicit volunteers for the program this summer, DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said.
The green lab program is funded through a $22,000 grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association and Responsibility.org, according to a DOT statement. The funds will be used to develop a training program designed to enhance the identification and treatment of alcoholand drug-impaired drivers.
“As only one of five states selected this year, we’re thankful to the GHSA and Responsibility.org for funding an upcoming training program to enhance the identification and treatment of impaired drivers,” Morgan said. “We are still in the planning process with our partners, and we fully expect the ‘green lab’ training to occur by the end of this year.”
Accidents involving drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs are on the rise, also contributing to an increase in fatal wrong-way crashes on the state’s highways, he said.
Many impaired drivers go unreported as police may not have the training to recognize drug impairment, according to the statement. The tests involving cannabis use will take place in a controlled environment.
With the grant funding, the state will establish a “green lab,” which involves giving volunteers a controlled dose of cannabis and or a combination of cannabis and alcohol, according to the statement. Law enforcement officers will then perform a series of sobriety tests with the volunteers to observe the impairing effects of the substances.
The training will teach officers how to better detect the signs of impairment and cannabis use at the roadside, in turn getting more intoxicated drivers off the roads, according to the statement.
“Summer is traditionally a deadly season for impaired driving, so this traffic safety grant is extremely timely,” DOT Commissioner Joe Giulietti said. “This grant will help bolster the ability to deter and detect impaired drivers in Connecticut by providing law enforcement the tools to identify alcohol- and drugimpaired drivers. Expanded testing is critical for protecting all roadway users.”
Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland and Nevada were also chosen to receive the grant,
according to a GHSA statement. In its eighth year, the program has provided nearly $1 million to states to address alcoholand drug-impaired driving, according to the statement.
Nationwide, police-reported alcohol-involved crashes rose during the last two years, eclipsing the levels before the COVID-19 pandemic. Police-reported, alcohol-involved crashes rose 16 percent from 201920 and increased another 5 percent from 2020-21, according to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Alcohol and drug use increased during the pandemic, and we know that many individuals are also getting behind the wheel. It’s tragic and incredibly frustrating to see impaired driving crashes — which are preventable — kill people every day,” GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins said.