Legalized marijuana?

MALTA, N.Y. » Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said Thursday’s she’s concerned about a rise in impaired driving cases if marijuana is legalized in New York.

Last month Vermont became the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, recently announced her co-sponsorship of legislation, the Marijuana Justice Act, which would make pot legal at the federal level.

Marijuana has been decriminalized in New York — it’s a violation, not a crime — and it’s fully legal for medical purposes.

“One of the concerns I have is we’ve seen an increase in people who are driving under the influence of marijuana and we don’t have a roadsidetype test, like we do for alcohol, for people who are under the influence of active ingredients of marijuana,” Heggen said.

Heggen announced plans to seek a new four-year term in office Thursday.

Nationwide, there is an increasing trend toward marijuana legalization, meaning this might occur in New York during her next term, if reelected.

Heggen cited the tragic case of a 16-year-old boy who was killed last summer, in Moreau, while riding in a car driven by Christopher R. Miranda, 18, of Hudson Falls, who was speeding at 104 mph while under the influence of marijuana and alcohol. Another 14-year-old passenger

was seriously injured in the crash.

Miranda pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Saratoga County Court to seconddegree manslaughter and first-degree vehicular assault. He faces from five to 15 years in state prison.

“So if we go that way (legalization), and I’m here to prosecute the laws the Legislature enacts, we need some enhancements and abilities to make sure people who are participating legally with substances are operating vehicles safely,” Heggen said.

Gillibrand’s office, in a press release, said the senator supports legalizing marijuana at the federal level to “reverse decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately hurt communities of color and low-income communities in New York and across the country.” If approved, the bill would also expunge the records of Americans who have prior marijuana possession convictions.

Gillibrand’s office did not respond to a question seeking comment about legalization’s potential impact on impaired driving.