Minnesota to try a roadside test to catch drugged drivers

Minnesota will roll out a saliva-based roadside test for cannabis and other drugs this month to gauge whether the tool can accurately detect drug use.

Drug recognition evaluators from several Minnesota law enforcement agencies were taught how to use the new testing instrument during a public training in Maple Grove on Friday. State public safety leaders also demonstrated how the test works during a news conference.

The state will try two different roadside drug testing instruments this year as part of a pilot project required under Minnesota's new recreational marijuana law. Law enforcement will begin testing the second instrument later this year.

In other states where marijuana is legal, law enforcement have used these roadside tests to help establish probable cause, similar to a preliminary Breathalyzer screening for alcohol.

During Minnesota's pilot project period, test results may not be used as cause for arrest or as evidence in court. The tests are being piloted exclusively for "the purpose of analyzing the practicality, accuracy, and efficacy of the instrument," according to the law.

Officers must obtain a driver's consent to administer the saliva test.

State public safety leaders must report results of the pilot project back to the Legislature early next year. They hope to obtain the Legislature's permanent approval to use a roadside drug test as a tool to catch impaired drivers.

Authorities warn that cannabis can impair driving by slowing drivers' reaction time and confusing their understanding of speed and distance.

Drugged driving in Minnesota has spiked over the years, according to the state Department of Public Safety, accounting for nearly 16,000 driving while impaired incidents from 2018-2022 compared with about half as many in the previous five-year span.