Minnesota is one step closer to legalizing recreational marijuana with the passage of bills in the state House and Senate. But local law enforcement figures have concerns over how legalization would affect their department and practices, and the impacts it could have on the roads.

From sheriff’s offices to the roads, legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana in Minnesota could bring about major impacts on area law enforcement. The bill allocates $10 million in the first year for drug recognition experts (DREs) and allows for the development of a roadside test pilot project. With this proposed project, officers would be able to test for the presence of controlled substances in one’s system.

But law enforcement say they’re concerned that there is no current benchmark to measure whether someone is impaired due to marijuana use. Unlike with the national standard of .08 BAC for drunk driving, impairment cannot be determined by a number through current means.

DRE training is also a time-intensive process that requires officers to leave the state for multiple days. In an already taxed line of work, Sheriffs say they’re wondering how they will support their departments with fewer people. There is also the question on how marijuana use may affect other struggling industries that connect to law enforcement, such as mental health providers.

Those who support the bill highlight two features. Along with eliminating the black market, proponents also highlight expungement of marijuana-related offenses, effectively sealing court records for those arrests or convictions. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension estimates about 66,000 Minnesotans will be automatically eligible for expungement, further opening doors that were once closed.

The current scenario remains unclear to law enforcement. However, with the trajectory of the bills passed by the Minnesota legislature, the legalization of recreational adult-use marijuana seems likely.

The bill will now head to conference committee to sort out the differences between the House and Senate files. If passed and signed into law, Minnesota would become the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana use.

By — Mary Balstad