Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory. July 27, 2018 Beth Nakamura/Staff

A Lane County driver was pulled over for allegedly driving high in June, after a previous arrest for the same kind of citation in November. Two additional Jackson County residents were arrested twice for driving high. The first was arrested in February and again in May, while another was arrested twice in the span of 10 days, both for DUIIs.

Lab results are still pending for all of these cases.

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Small amounts of diluted urine at the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory. July 27, 2018 Beth Nakamura/Staff

Oregon public safety officials and legal experts want to prevent more of these cases from occurring. They're also concerned offenders aren't getting the treatment they need for substance abuse.

In Oregon, drivers may have theirhas badly skewed the numbers.

Analysts who want a full picture of what's happening on the road are frustrated.

"It's like trying to see what the puzzle is with only 10 percent of the pieces," Sether said.

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Amanda Goodwin, a forensic scientist at the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory, working with urine to prepare it to undergo testing. July 27, 2018 Beth Nakamura/Staff

Looking for answers

Dalton, with the Oregon District Attorneys Association, said her organization is in the process of drafting legislation that would address the backlog, one of her top priorities for the 2019 legislative session.

This issue is on the state's radar and lawmakers recognize that the backlog is a serious problem, Dalton said.

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Small amounts of diluted urine at the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory. July 27, 2018 Beth