Abstract
Legalized medical cannabis is implemented in 44 states in the USA while recreational marijuana legislation has challenged the law enforcement community. The public safety concerns of citizens involve a perceived increase in crimes, marijuana being a gateway for hard drug usage, the influx of residents from bordering states, increased fatal crashes, and the depletion of vital resources. In New Jersey, the State Police Forensic Science Laboratory System is the primary support system for law enforcement and laboratory professionals. Several Fatality Analysis Reporting System training programs are offered statewide, while the critical need remains to review enforcement practices. This study examines current medical cannabis enforcement practices to determine pending challenges and establish solutions for the state's oversight of legalized recreational marijuana.
TopU.S. Public Safety Practices
Public safety practices in states with legalized recreational marijuana were examined in several domains to identify changes in crime rates, gateway status for hard drug usage, impaired driver fatal crash rates, and toxicology testing practices (Zwahlen & Suravaram, 2007). The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-2002) data was examined to identify the status of marijuana as a gateway drug. FARS data offered fatal crash levels based on the legal status of marijuana in the United States. The following section examines an independent study of 253,137 fatal crashes with 20,950 marijuana-impaired drivers to determine the effectiveness of testing procedures on the behavioral status of impaired drivers.
Key Terms in this Chapter
New Jersey State Police (NJSP): The agency responsible for state oversight of forensic and trace evidence laboratory testing.
Drug Recognition Expert or Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE): A police officer trained to recognize impaired drivers under the influence of drugs.
Forensic Science: Developed in crime laboratories as appendages to aid criminal investigations in solving crimes. Until recently, forensic scientists had law enforcement backgrounds that typically did not include formal training in science.
National Academy of Sciences Report: FARS published the report entitled, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward (2009) AU42: The in-text citation "Path Forward (2009)" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. , which includes recommendations for future professional improvements.
Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): Is a nationwide census providing NHTSA, Congress, and the American public yearly data regarding fatal injuries suffered in motor vehicle traffic crashes.
Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Training: Is sponsored by NHTSA and focuses on alcohol-impaired driving enforcement.
Public Safety: Refers to the welfare and protection of the general public. It is usually expressed as a governmental responsibility ( USLegal, Inc., 2022 ).
Trace Evidence: Is defined as small physical evidence that transfers due to interaction between objects and individuals. These materials are often microscopic, yielding information about what had occurred and how materials were transferred.