The Manitowoc Police Department recently received a $10 thousand grant from the State Department of Transportation to help test drivers for possible marijuana impairment. Chief Nick Reimer tells SeehaferNews.com that “The state of Wisconsin is looking at some way to do roadside testing for drug use. They would want sort of a test to see if this person is under the influence of marijuana.” The MPD is testing out a variety of machines that would perform this test, and they have received a grant to help with collecting the 100 samples they need.
The money will be used for overtime pay, for which according to Reimer achieve two important goals. Those goals are “Number one making Manitowoc a safer place, number two it helps us complete our goal of 100 samples.”
A recent survey by Triple-A Wisconsin shows that nearly 14.8 million drivers report getting behind the wheel within one hour after using marijuana in the past 30 days. Impairing effects are usually experienced within the first one to four hours of use, similar to using alcohol which can put themselves and others at risk. Law enforcement emphasizes that although legal in some states, it does not mean marijuana is safe to use while operating a motor vehicle.
