Police talk DUIDs after pot legalization

UPDATE: 5:33 p.m.

“DUI doesn’t just mean booze.”

That’s the message law enforcement officers like Palm Springs Police Sergeant William Hutchinson have been echoing around the state.

You can’t buy it yet, but smoking recreational marijuana is now legal in California.

After the passing of Proposition 64 last November, Hutchinson said he and other officers will be patrolling for pot-related DUIs, despite no clear-cut testing procedures outlined in the bill.

“Currently, we use field sobriety tests,” Hutchinson said. “We use drug recognition experts to determine impairment. We use blood tests to determine impairment and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) counts. But again, there’s not been any standard in place, and certainly not by the legislators when they enacted Prop 64. So, it’s really frustrating and we’re very concerned.”

But lawmakers have begun hashing out solutions for potential roadside testing, with a rise in DUIs expected after the bill passed.

“It’s tricky because it’s not like blood alcohol,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. “It’s a totally different animal here. So, obviously what we’re worried about is the reliability of some of these tests. And I think we’re kind of in the early stages, so we’re looking for technology to help us out here.”

Palm Springs Police officers conduct field tests when determining DUIs for alcohol. State lawmakers recently introduced legislation that would involve using swab checks with saliva to determine if anyone is under the influence of marijuana while behind the wheel.

But whatever the answer may be, police hope to see it soon while making sure you don’t get high and drive.

“We have to educate people, and we have to have proper enforcement capabilities,” Hutchinson said. “And when they get arrested, we have to be able to explain to a jury what impairment means, and how we’re determining that.”

Hutchinson said Colorado, one of the first states to legalize recreational pot use, has seen a spike in DUI related arrests linked to marijuana of anywhere from 17 to 48 percent.

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ORIGINAL STORY: 5:25 p.m.

While recreational marijuana use is no longer a pipe dream in the Golden State, lawmakers and law enforcement officers are now making sure you’re safe behind the wheel.

When lawmakers drew up Prop 64, there weren’t any specific procedures put in place to determine if anyone was under the influence of pot while driving. With the law in effect, officials are rolling out a statewide campaign to say DUIs aren’t just related to booze.

Currently, there is no clear-cut testing procedures to determine if someone is high while driving, but officers will be patrolling for pot-related DUIs.

KESQ News Channel 3’s Zak Dahlheimer spoke with Sgt. William Hutchinson with the Palm Springs Police Department on Thursday to learn what the next steps are for law enforcement officers in determining if someone is high while driving.

Hear from the Palm Springs Police Department on KESQ News Channel 3 at 6 p.m.