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Kauai Police describe 'GreenLab' training that sharpened officers' ability to detect cannabis impairment
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Summary
A Kauai Police sergeant described three GreenLab exercises that tested registered medical patients in controlled settings, improved officers' field sobriety testing and courtroom reporting, and identified nuances between measurable saliva THC and observable impairment.
Sergeant Thomas Koyanagi of the Kauai Police Department described a local training program he helped design to improve officers’ ability to identify cannabis‑related impairment and to prepare testimony for court.
Koyanagi said the GreenLab format brought registered medical patients into controlled scenarios where participants consumed measured amounts (vaporizer, smoked flower or edibles) after prescreening, underwent standardized field sobriety tests, had saliva testing (Sotoxa) and were evaluated by drug recognition experts (DREs). He reported three GreenLab events since 2024 that trained roughly 38 officers and totaled about 48 hours of practical instruction.
Early GreenLab rounds frequently showed measurable THC in saliva (Koyanagi reported readings over 25 nanograms for five of six initial participants) but often limited observable impairment in the first hour; later rounds indicated clearer signs of impairment as consumption increased. Koyanagi said training improved officers’ report writing and courtroom testimony and increased the number of DRE evaluations called in the field.
Koyanagi recommended expanding GreenLab training statewide, refining scenarios based on lessons learned, and continuing collaboration with prosecutors and medical providers to ensure lawfully compliant, sound evidence collection.
Committee members asked Koyanagi for a written report; he said he has one and will share it with Chair Tarnas for distribution to members.
