Vermont police are recruiting volunteers to consume cannabis in controlled settings so officers can practice identifying signs of impairment as part of expanded training on cannabis-impaired driving, the Burlington Free Press reports.
According to the report, the Vermont Police Academy received a $20,000 grant in 2025 from Responsibility.org and the Governors Highway Safety Association to expand training for officers on recognizing cannabis impairment. State data show crashes involving drivers suspected of having only cannabis in their system rose marginally from 2021 to 2025. Impaired driving overall contributed to about 51% of Vermont highway deaths, according to a community announcement cited by the Free Press.
The academy has since hosted cannabis impairment workshops that allow officers to observe volunteers who have consumed cannabis in a controlled setting. The first workshop was held in November 2025, followed by a second session in June 2026. Participants completed two monitored cannabis consumption sessions and were evaluated afterward, giving officers real-world practice identifying signs of impairment.
“These workshops offer a unique learning opportunity that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom,” JamieLee Bedard, impaired driving training coordinator, told the outlet. “Officers gain firsthand experience recognizing signs of cannabis impairment, while volunteers gain a better understanding
