Baltimore Cops, Curious But Not Judgmental, Join Consumers To Share Info On Weed And Driving

With less than two months until cannabis becomes widely available in Maryland, Baltimore cops are getting up to speed in terms of spotting impairment behind the wheel. 

To that end, the Baltimore County Police Department is training officers to figure out how to ascertain if someone is stoned or just one of those lousy drivers whom we all need to avoid.

The Green Lab Training sessions involving police officers and medical marijuana users are getting together to help the former understand what’s happening with the latter.

Impairment In Real-Time: Show-And-Tell

Medical cannabis consumers brought in their bongs, joints and edibles to the Green Lab session for a show-and-tell session. 

"There is a stigma about people, why are they using cannabis," said David Madaras, president of the Chesapeake Region Safety Council. "Is it just to get high? Well, there are a lot of people who have medical needs for it and they use it and it dissipates the need for some other challenge." 

Marine vet Rick Glass who served two combat tours in Iraq couldn’t agree more. 

"I just think this is really, really important," Glass said. "Just us being here will educate some of the police officers on basically the difference of use of cannabis and impairment of cannabis, I think those are two totally different things." 

Glass and his smoking buddies sparked up and helped law enforcement identify the signs of cannabis impairment that drivers may experience behind the wheel.

"You may see marijuana in the car but they're not impaired. It's OK to let them get back in the car and leave," said Jeff Schaub, from the Baltimore County DUI Task Force. "If they're not impaired, it's time to let them drive and be on their way."

How To Know For Sure?

Testing for cannabis impairment continues to befuddle those who would like tests to be as straightforward as measuring blood alcohol levels. Marijuana, which affects everyone differently, cannot be objectively measured by any scientifically proven methodology at the moment. Current testing does not identify intoxication, only the presence of marijuana metabolites, or THC.

Nevertheless, for local police to at least attempt to understand how cannabis does or does not affect a person’s ability to drive is a move in the right direction, if done well. 

A Baltimore CBS outlet called this attitude a “generational shift in the attitude and approach of Maryland law enforcement as cannabis becomes an ever so normalized part of our society.”

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