ROCHESTER, Minn. - As efforts to legalize recreational marijuana ramp up in the state legislature, sheriffs across the state have increased their own efforts to raise concern.
Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson is one of 87 Minnesota sheriffs to criticize a proposed bill that would allow adults to use marijuana recreationally.
Despite speaking with lawmakers during a hearing yesterday, Sheriff Torgerson feels that the concerns of law enforcement officers are not being addressed.
One of the most controversial parts of the bill for the sheriffs is the timeline of the legalization. The bill would go into effect on August 1st of this year, with the drug becoming fully legal by the start of next year.
This quick turnaround gives law enforcement little time to fully train deputies and officers on new protocols with marijuana DWIs. Several K-9 units will also be forced into retirement, as they would not be able to be trained to distinguish marijuana from other drugs.
Departments across the state will also struggle with understanding how to correctly enforce the new law. The current wording of the bill means agencies will not have effective road tests for drivers under the influence of marijuana until late 2025.
Sheriff Torgerson believes the language of the proposal will make officers act more reactively than proactively, adding that the lack of preparedness could be deadly.
"Now all law enforcement has to purchase these [resources] and then train their people on it," he said. "It is going to take time. In the meantime, every state across the country, when they've legalized marijuana recreationally, has increased fatalities on their highways."
Some suggestions of opponents of the bill seem to have gotten through. A program was added to the proposal that would teach children the dangers of using marijuana.
However, even that proposal doesn't satisfy detractors, as the program would only receive a quarter of the funding similar programs for tobacco receive.
The sheriff says this difference doesn't make sense when looking at the effects of both drugs.
"Clearly, marijuana is a bigger problem," says Sheriff Torgerson. "Tobacco doesn't affect someone's motor skills and things like that, we all know that. Marijuana does. It's documented, nobody denies that. Even the proponents of it don't deny that. But they're only putting one million dollars there when we're spending four million to educate kids."
Law enforcement remains hopeful that legislatures will at least delay the passing of the bill, which has passed through 14 committees in the House, giving departments more time to prepare and obtain the resources needed to enforce new regulations.
The sheriff also urges anyone with concerns about the propsoal marijuana legaliztion bill, to contact their local legislators.
