WPD chief breaks down cannabis DUI crackdown measures

At a previous Woodbury Village Board meeting, Woodbury Town Councilman Brandon Calore expressed concern about the opening of a recreational cannabis (marijuana) dispensary, which is legally allowed within town and village borders. Calore objected to the opening of the cannabis dispensary because of the lack of a breathalyzer available to local police that can be used to detect cannabis use.

As previously mentioned, although no breathalyzer exists, police do have a variety of other tactics that can be utilized if they suspect someone to be driving while under the influence. The Photo News reached out to Woodbury Police Chief Kevin Watson to help explain the tactics used. “In a proactive response to the evolving New York State laws pertaining to the medical and recreational use of marijuana, our officers have recently undergone training on how to better recognize impaired drivers. This training, hosted by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, was designed to enhance an officer’s skills in detecting a cannabis-impaired motorist. Additionally, we also have officers certified in ARIDE [Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement)].”

Thus, some Woodbury police officers are now trained in detecting when a driver is under the influence of cannabis, despite the lack of a breathalyzer test.

For the officers to receive this certification, they must pass a Standardized Field Sobriety Test evaluation, according to the state’s Traffic Safety Committee. If an officer fails the evaluation, they will not receive their ARIDE certification.

The chief added, “Drug-impaired driving, specifically involving marijuana, is not a new phenomenon. But as marijuana has become more legally accessible in recent years, it is no mystery that its involvement in traffic accidents has increased significantly. The Woodbury PD regularly conducts traffic enforcement details targeting impaired driving. However, these details do not intentionally take aim at any business lawfully operating within the jurisdiction. It is understood that a marijuana dispensary could bring an increase to property and violent crimes in its immediate area, but I am confident that our officers in conjunction with our law enforcement partners will take proper actions if that time comes.”

Concerning cannabis-related traffic accidents, the jury appears to still be out on whether or not legalizing it has led to an increase in traffic accidents nationally. A study from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health found a “substantial increase in crash fatalities in four of the seven states used in the study with legalized recreational markets and that, on average, recreational markets were associated with a 10% increase in motor vehicle accident deaths.” However, an extensive analysis provided by the media company Quartz found that, “In California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada – four states that fully legalized marijuana in 2016 – traffic fatalities declined or remained the same in the three years that followed, compared to a slight increase in states where it remained illegal.”

In addition, Quartz found that a study of traffic data in the U.S. and Canada “failed to find a statistically significant change in accidents and fatalities after legalization.” They concluded, “Alcohol, which remains fully legal in all 50 states and D.C., is a factor in nearly a third of all automotive fatalities.” One complicating factor in traffic data involving legalization of cannabis is the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting data from the years 2020 to 2023. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, while the amount of traffic on U.S. roads dropped during the pandemic, fatal accidents saw a sharp increase.

So, it will be a while before we can say with certainty if the legalization of cannabis causes an increase in traffic accidents. One thing is for sure; however, and that is the need for further education among cannabis users about the drug’s impact on their ability to drive, as it is often mistakenly viewed as “safer” to consume than alcohol prior to doing so.