With pot legal, state vows crackdown on impaired drivers - propane gas grill

BOSTON (AP)—
State officials pledged Wednesday to crack down on marijuana
Driving impaired when the state is ready to fully implement voters
The approved law legalizes the use of recreational pots by adults.
State police say they are increasing the number of officials who receive special training to test whether drivers are affected by the psychoactive chemical THC in marijuana.
A persistent obstacle to law enforcement is the lack of reliable scientific testing, similar to alcohol breath testing, to measure THC damage.
Officials also unveiled a public education media campaign for young people that brings home the risks of driving in a humorous way.
A television scene repeatedly portrayed a young man who was apparently stoned to death, trying to ignite a gas grill without a propane tank, hint how dangerous it may be if the person tries to drive somewhere to fill the tank.
Arthur Kinsman, regional administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the goal is not to "demonize" the use of marijuana, but to change the perception that it is safer to use it than to drink.
"It's not a Cheech and Chong movie, where everyone is driving with a smile and everyone is laid back," said Kinsman . " He is referring to the popular 1970.
Comedy duo.
In last November, voters from four states passed the issue of cannabis entertainment, including four states that had previously passed the issue of cannabis entertainment.
Jennifer Queally, deputy public safety minister in charge of law enforcement, cited evidence that these early states had experienced a surge in marijuana --
Related highway crashes since legalization.
A recent study by the leading insurance research group Highway Loss Data Institute found that collision claims in Colorado, Washington and Oregon rose by 2.
Compared with the surrounding states, legal recreational marijuana sales began in 7% years.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the drivers who smoked marijuana showed slower response times, drowsiness and harder time and distance estimates. Col.
Massachusetts State Police Chief Richard McKen said law enforcement plans to rely more and more on drug identification experts trained to identify drug damage.
He said that there are currently 33 such experts in the national police force, with a total of 141 in various departments across the state, and the funds can be increased by another 60 in 2018.
But McKeon acknowledged that there is currently a lack of conclusive testing to measure THC damage, which makes prosecution difficult.
"We can demonstrate our observations and we reinforce this through our training and experience, and that's how we move these cases forward," he said . ".
But this is a challenge.
"A bill recently passed amended the Massachusetts law, including the creation of a task force to study all aspects of law enforcement's ability to properly test damaged operators and prevent damaged motor vehicle operations.
"While questioning some of the methods behind the study that linked the legalization of cannabis to the increase in highway crashes, cannabis industry delegates generally accepted the efforts of states to address the problem of impaired driving.
Mike Dundas, chief executive of Cambridge Medical Marijuana Pharmacy Sage Naturals, said his employees were trained to discuss risks with customers.
"We urge other pharmacies to work with us with the country to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and driving," Dundas said . ".