Survey Reveals a Quarter of Colorado Cannabis Consumers Drive on Cannabis Daily
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap] quarter of Colorado residents who consume cannabis drive under the influence almost daily, according to a new state survey.
The Cannabis Conversation is an initiative of the Colorado Department of Transportation to discuss citizens’ views and the issues around driving while under the influence of cannabis. It launched in February, and surveyed over 11,000 people online, in public and also hosted public events. Data shows that 69 percent of Colorado cannabis consumers have driven under the influence, with another 27 percent admitting to driving high almost daily.
Thirty-four percent of medical cannabis consumers do not believe that cannabis impairs their driving, while 10 percent said that they believe it improves their driving.
Also, 35 percent of those who are not consumers admitted they had been driven by someone under the influence of cannabis.
“This is a complex issue, evidenced in the fact that we’re seeing quite a few mixed messages from our outreach,” CDOT communications manager Sam Cole said. “While 40 percent of recreational users said they don’t think being under the influence of marijuana affects their ability to drive safely, almost half of all survey participants said driving under the influence of marijuana puts people in danger.”
“What this information tells us is that Colorado still has a lot of work to do in order to change behavior,” said Cole. Other prevalent themes in public meetings included the thought that cannabis needed to be thought of like alcohol when it came to driving, even though it had different effects and the need for better testing.
The state’s transportation department hopes to use the feedback to tailor the state’s program to better inform cannabis users. In 2016, Colorado recorded 51 fatalities that involved a driver with active THC in their blood above the legal limit of 5 nanograms.
“CDOT has been successful in raising awareness about the laws and consequences of driving high, but now our big focus is on how we can turn that awareness into action and increase safety on our roadways,” Cole said.
