Name: Redwood Area Alano Club
Start: 2023-10-01T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2023-10-01T20:00:00-05:00
Location: Alano Club

Starting next Tuesday, Aug. 1, it will be legal in Minnesota to possess and use cannibis and cannibis products.
However, DWI laws — that is “driving while impaired” laws — will apply to cannibis as well as to alcohol.

Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said Thursday, “Impaired is impaired on the road, regardless of the substance…. Our focus is on impaired driving, regardless of substance, and keeping Minnesotans safe by enforcing the law.”

Cannabis has measurable effects that can impair your ability to drive, including: difficulties in road tracking and lane positioning, divided attention, and decision making and risk taking.

Drugged driving-related DWI incidents are increasing in Minnesota. Drugged driving incidents have increased 127 percent in the past 11 years. That is also true for boating and other recreational activities. Each year, about half of all fatal incidents involving boats, off-road vehicles, and snowmobiles involve impairment.

Standard DWI penalties apply the same to operating a boat, off-road vehicle, or snowmobile under the influence. People convicted of operating any of them under the influence lose their privilege to operate all of them.

Another similarity: just like how drinking alcohol in a vehicle is illegal, it’s illegal under the new cannabis law for:
Drivers or passengers to open any cannabis packaging, use marijuana or consume other cannabis products.

Drivers or passengers to have an unsealed container of marijuana (for example, 2 ounces in a zip-close bag). Similar to alcohol, the exception is an unsealed container or other opened products may be kept in the trunk of a car or another area not accessible by the driver or passengers.