TZD Traffic Safety Hotdish: Cannabis and the Highway through the Lens of EMS, Law Enforcement, and Prosecution
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
About the Event
This webinar included information about the impairing effects of cannabis and how it impacts a person’s ability to drive. It also explored public perception of cannabis use and driving, examined existing laws related to cannabis and driving, and discussed the highway safety considerations of the current cannabis legalization bill that is making its way through the legislature in Minnesota. Additionally, presenters shared data from the state's emergency medical system that can help identify any trends in pre-hospital care since changes were made to the state’s laws on THC edibles.
Event Materials
Speakers
Dylan Ferguson serves as the executive director of the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (EMSRB) and has been an EMT/paramedic for 18 years. As the director of the EMSRB, he supports EMS by providing information and data used for making improvements to Minnesota’s EMS system as well as valuable data and intelligence on matters involving the intersection of public health and public safety.
Sergeant Tyler Milless graduated in 2015 from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and an associate’s degree in psychology. In 2022, he obtained his master’s degree in business management and leadership from Western Governor’s University. He attended the Minnesota State Patrol academy in 2016. After graduating from the academy, he was stationed in Fairmont, Minnesota, for just over a year. He then transferred to West Metro dogwatch, where he spent a year before transferring to the Elk River station. In 2020, he took a promotion to become a sergeant and is now the coordinator for the DRE Program.
David Bernstein has been a prosecutor with the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office for the past 11 years, specializing in alcohol and drug-based DWIs as well as serious traffic cases. He attended the full two-week DRE school and also works on appellate cases. He regularly presents trainings to attorneys and law enforcement across the state. In addition, David has been the chair of the Minnesota DWI Task Force for the past eight years. In that capacity, David has drafted DWI legislation and testified before the legislature on DWI-related bills.
Credit
The webinar is eligible for 1.25 Professional Development Hours (PDHs).
More Information
Please contact Linda Dolan at ldolan@umn.edu.
Sponsors
This event was offered by the Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Program and the Minnesota Departments of Health, Public Safety, and Transportation, with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It was hosted by the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies.