It’s been four months since Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the New York State Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act into law.

It made the use of recreational marijuana legal for those older than 21. A lot has gone into it, especially when it comes to keeping our families safe on New York State roads. 

What You Need To Know

  • NYSP are having most troopers go through Advanced Roadside Impairment Driving Enforcement or (ARIDE)

  • It further enhances their ability to know if a driver is under the influence of drugs 

  • DRE officers receive even more training

Trooper Thomas Eggert walks to his office for his 12-hour shift. He’s a DRE Officer. 

“The title stands for Drug Recognition Expert,” Trooper Eggert said. 

He’s called to the scene when an office, of any agency, has reason to believe a driver is under the influence of drugs. From there, there’s a 12 step process to figuring that out. The first is to determine whether a person is intoxicated. If that’s not ruled out, then Eggert makes sure the individual isn’t having a medical episode that’s causing impairment. If that’s not the case, then the initial officer on scene is interviewed. 

Then it’s on to a series of tests. From the eyes to the pulse — three times to be exact — he goes down the list.

“As a DRE, you estimate the person’s pupil sizes in three different lighting conditions,” Eggert explained. “If an individual has a high pulse or a low pulse it can point us in the direction of the drug,” Eggert continued. 

The tests are done. They check the seven drug categories they’re trained to know everything about. 

“It can become complicated at times, especially if someone is on a series of drugs,” Eggert said. 

That’s what Eggert says they typically see. Heroin, cocaine and fentanyl are the most common ones. Eggert says there might be a rise in marijuana arrests, but there is something to keep in mind.

“It’s tough. Also too early in the game to say if that’s the case,” Eggert said. 

So far this year, from January to June, NYSP Troop A, which covers Western New York, has made 169 DWI Drug arrests. That is compared to the 172 and 121 in all of 2020 and 2019, respectively. These arrests are for any drug, not just marijuana.

State police are trying to train each trooper to better detect those driving under the influence of drugs. A DRE officer is an extra, more intense step.

“It’s a two-week residential school,” Eggert said. 

Then it’s off to a one-week field certification anywhere in the nation. And on top of that, they must recertify every two years.

Right now, most troopers are going through what’s called Advanced Roadside Impairment Driving Enforcement (ARIDE). It’s a two-day program designed to further train in field sobriety tests.

What it comes down to is your safety.

State police say if you think driving while high won’t affect you, you’re wrong. It’s been shown to slow reaction times, impair your judgment and make it hard to drive straight.

“There’s about a 50/50 chance they are either drunk or there’s some type of drug causing the impairment,” Eggert said.

Something else to think about is the cost of getting caught. State police say on average, an arrest for impaired driving can set you back $10,000. That's the cost of attorney fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, etc.

Plus, you could face jail time or lose your license.