Eighteen Connecticut residents recently spent the day consuming alcohol and cannabis to help train police.
It was the first “wet and green lab” in the nation to include people under the influence of both substances.
The day lasted 8 hours. Participants using cannabis smoked or vaped twice, and participants drinking alcohol were given drinks throughout the day.
After the substances took effect, they participated in field sobriety tests as well as experimental chemical tests that are being developed to detect cannabis impairment.
Eric Jackson is the executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute at the University of Connecticut. He said Connecticut has an impaired driving problem, and officer training is needed to fix it.
“Along with alcohol impairment, our fatality numbers are increasing, the number of people involved in fatal crashes that are under the influence of drugs,” Jackson said. “Connecticut is always one of the top 10 states in the country for fatalities with drivers under the influence.”
The event was funded through a state Department of Transportation grant for $22,000.
