It will be learning process for traffic cops.

As the feds are set to legalize marijuana sometime next year, Calgary police are looking into what technology may enable them to make sure people are not getting behind the wheel high.

Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey says there is technology out there that detects weed, but they need some rules in place before they can find the right one and give it the stamp of approval.

“Take impaired by alcohol, we have legislation where it has clear guidelines of when, according to the law anyway, you’re deemed to be impaired or over the legal limit, say over .08, or under,” Stacey said. “We don’t have the same thing in place for impaired by drugs.”

Stacey says they’ll be looking to places like Colorado and Washington State, who’ve already tread this territory.

“I know that the alcohol impairment side has been a bit of an evolution, and I suspect that this will be a bit of an evolution too. We’ll probably see one thing at the beginning and it may evolve as time goes on,” he said.

Right now, testing for drivers who may be stoned is a laborious process, and requires many steps and extensive training.

“The drug thing is much more complicated and convoluted than the alcohol piece for sure, so there’s going to be some challenges ahead for us, no question,” Stacey said.