Marijuana May Be Legal, But Driving Impaired Can Get You Arrested

Tanya Mohn

Most Americans don’t think they’ll get arrested for driving high. In fact, nearly 70% said they think it’s unlikely a driver will get caught by police for driving while high on marijuana, and an estimated 14.8 Americans million reported getting behind the wheel within one hour after using the drug.

Those are the main findings of a new survey released earlier this month by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a nonprofit research and education association.

“Marijuana can significantly alter reaction times and impair a driver’s judgement. Yet, many drivers don’t consider marijuana-impaired driving as risky as other behaviors like driving drunk or talking on the phone while driving,” David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation, said in a statement. “It is important for everyone to understand that driving after recently using marijuana can put themselves and others at risk.”


The impairing effects of marijuana are usually experienced within the first one to four hours after using it, and marijuana users who drive high are up to twice as likely to be involved in a crash, according to the safety group.

In the survey, based on the responses of 2,582 licensed drivers in the United States aged 16 and older who reported driving in the past 30 days, 7% participants reported that they approved of driving after recently using marijuana - more than other dangerous behaviors like alcohol-impaired driving (1.6%), drowsy driving (1.7%), and prescription drug-impaired driving (3%).

· Millennials (nearly 14%) are most likely to report driving within one hour after using marijuana in the past 30 days, followed by Generation Z (10%).

· Men (8%) are more likely than women (5%) to report driving shortly after using marijuana in the past 30 days.

Previous research by the foundation found that fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana doubled in Washington after the state legalized the drug. LINK!!!

Law enforcement programs around the country are training officers on how to more effectively recognize drug-impaired driving; currently there are more than 90,000 patrolling U.S. roads.

In addition, the number of trained Drug Recognition Experts has increased by 30% since 2013; these officers reported that marijuana is the most frequently identified drug category, the foundation said, noting that since 2015, the number of drivers arrested by these experts for using marijuana increased 20%.

The safety group emphasized that as more states explore legalizing recreational marijuana, drivers need to understand that just because a drug is legal does not mean it is safe to use while operating a motor vehicle, and if they do get behind the wheel while impaired, they put themselves and others in danger. It recommends that all motorists avoid driving while impaired by marijuana or any other drug (including alcohol) to avoid arrest and keep the roads safe.

“It’s time to face the facts. Any driver who gets behind the wheel high can be arrested and prosecuted,” Jake Nelson, AAA Director of Traffic Safety and Advocacy, said in a statement.

“Law enforcement officials are getting more sophisticated in their methods for identifying marijuana-impaired drivers and the consequences are not worth the risk.”