Marijuana

Residents and borough staff in Petersburg are trying to come to grips with state regulations for marijuana that take effect later this month.

As more states make medical and recreational marijuana use legal, they increasingly are grappling with what constitutes DUID, or driving under the influence of drugs, and how to detect and prosecute it. And they’re finding it is more difficult than identifying and convicting drunken drivers.

Marijuana clubs are not currently covered by local or state regulations, which are focused on commercial marijuana cultivation, processing, testing and retail sale.

Alaska is about to become the first state to have pot cafes where people can buy and consume marijuana. The state’s marijuana control board recently approved on-site consumption at retail stores.

Now that recreational use of marijuana is legal in four states, law enforcement officials are looking for quicker ways to test drivers for excessive pot use. Entrepreneurs are taking on the challenge.

The opposition was centered on marijuana oils, concentrates and edibles. But municipalities can’t cherry pick on their commercial pot bans, they must be all or nothing.