The Minnesota State Patrol says they don't yet have a clear picture of how much Marijuana-impaired driving is impacting Minnesota roads.
Drug evaluation program coordinator Tyler Millet says the patrol can't say exactly how many impaired driving incidents involve marijuana because the state lacks extensive data on the issue right now.
He says while troopers are seeing more of it anecdotally, they don't yet have access to the high-tech oral swab kits that would help them track the trend, as those still need to be approved by the state legislature.
"Minnesota went through a oral fluid pilot project that sun setted in February, and right now it's up to legislators on where they go with that," Millet explains.
The data does show traffic fatalities are down 9% across the state compared to last year and that they're focused on proactive enforcement to get impaired drivers off the road.
Millett says that clear trends won't emerge until a few years from now, but they are seeing more marijuana use on roads in general.
"I would say we're seeing more of it and quite frankly I think we'll only continue to see more of it," Millett said. "So, like I said earlier, what we need to focus on is that training and education both for law enforcement and the public as well as being proactive out there and finding these impaired drivers."
For now, troopers still use slower blood and urine tests, according to Millett.