Hawai‘i Island Police Department (HPD) officers recently conducted training in detecting and addressing cannabis-impaired driving.

Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit Sergeant Thomas Koyanagi spearheaded the first-ever Cannabis Impaired Driving “Green Lab held in the state of Hawai‘i, a three-day training event where officers conducted standardized field sobriety tests on volunteer medicinal cannabis patients. Each volunteer was permitted to consume their own cannabis product in verified dosages off site.

During the tests, officers were able observe the effects of cannabis consumption on the volunteers’ cognitive functions, coordination, and motor skills and the altered perception of time and space. The testing showed correlating levels of consumption and impairment.

Cannabis usage continues to be a factor in impaired driving in Hawai’i and ensuring road safety remains a top priority for all law enforcement agencies in our state. Last year, 40 percent of people involved in fatal traffic crashes had cannabis in their system.

Green Labs have been used by police departments nationwide in recent years.