KEY FINDINGS • Driving after recently consuming marijuana is seen as less of a public safety concern (46% rate as “very concerning”) than alcohol (54%) 1 . •12% admit to personally driving within two hours of consuming marijuana. • Many (41%) believe that driving under the influence of marijuana is safer than driving under the influence of alcohol. • 27% recall a friend or family member driving within two hours of consuming alcohol sometime during the past three months. • 13% recall someone close to them driving within two hours of consuming marijuana in the past three months. • More than 6 in 10 answer incorrectly or are unsure whether a person’s frequency (67%) and method (62%) of consuming marijuana will impact how long it stays in one’s system. • 41% are unsure or incorrectly believe that people who regularly use marijuana are generally not impaired, making it • There is also uncertainty in whether it is legal to drive impaired by marijuana: 40% view this as a serious crime, 27% say it is only a minor traffic offense, 4% think it is legal, and 27% are unsure. • 79% agree they don’t hear much about driving high 1 in the news today, though another 76% believe it will only increase as more states legalize marijuana use. • 83% believe that additional research needs to be done about the effects of driving high, with close to half (47%) “strongly” agreeing with this statement. • Colorado residents stand out as being significantly more knowledgeable about the effects of driving under the influence of marijuana. Other states, including those where marijuana has been legalized, tend to have attitudes and behaviors that are more similar to U.S. adults nationwide. safe to drive.
BACKGROUND &METHODS G iven the broad variation in state marijuana laws – and the rate at which these laws are changing – there is a large amount of public confusion and misinformation on the effects of driving under the influence of THC. The Report set out to better understand public attitudes and awareness when it comes to marijuana-impaired driving. In addition, the report will provide a foundation on which to base outreach and education aimed at reducing crashes and fatalities on the roads due to impaired driving from the use of THC. The MADD Cannibas Report was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs using the KnowledgePanel—the only large-scale representative panel of the adult population in the U.S. for which members are recruited using a probability-based and address-based sampling methodology. In order to maintain full representation of all adults, households without internet access are provided internet-enabled devices and an internet service provider (ISP) as well. From February 14, 2020 - February 18, 2020, a random sample of 1,020 adults, 18 years of age and older from across the United States were interviewed, including:
N=270 interviews in states where marijuana is fully legal
In addition to the national sample, another 765 interviews were conducted to achieve a minimum of 150 responses in 6 key states, including Colorado. N=427 interviews in states where marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes, only N=323 interviews in states where marijuana is fully illegal
1.
“driving within two hours of consuming marijuana/cannabis/THC” and “driving within two hours of consuming alcohol” This survey was conducted February 14 – 18, 2020, before widespread impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the US. It is viewed as a baseline of perceptions and attitudes.
6 // Mothers Against Drunk Driving
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