Minnesota law enforcement is trying out a new tool to test for drivers using legal cannabis, hoping that it could help save lives lost to impaired driving.

In August, cannabis became legal for adults 21 and older to use and possess in Minnesota. But it still can’t be used while behind the wheel of a car or boat.

A pilot project that began this month involves training law enforcement on how to perform a roadside test for cannabis, according to the State Patrol.

The instrument, the SoToxa Oral Fluid Mobile Analyzer, can detect the presence of cannabis or other drugs in a driver. The project will be testing how effective, efficient and accurate the tests are. Another instrument, the Dräger DrugTest 5000, will be tested at a later date.

The roadside tests will be like preliminary breath tests that law enforcement officers use to detect drunken driving.

The pilot project is voluntary for drivers, so the results won’t be admissible in court, and they will not be used to establish probable cause for arrests.

Drugged driving accounted for 8,069 DUI incidents from 2013-2017 compared with 15,810 from 2018-2022 — which marks a 96% increase.

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