Can You Be High And Drive Safely? National Highway Traffic Safety Admin Questions Scant Science Behind Cannabis DUI Laws
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is raising concerns about state laws that use a specific THC level to determine driver impairment. In a draft report, the agency highlighted a crucial gap in scientific knowledge, stating there’s “relatively little research” linking THC concentration in the blood to actual driving ability.
This finding challenges the validity of “per se” limits implemented in several states, which automatically define someone as impaired based solely on the amount of THC detected in their system. Unlike alcohol, where a clear correlation exists between blood alcohol content (BAC) and crash risk, the NHTSA report emphasizes the absence of such a connection for THC.
“Several states have determined legal per se definitions of cannabis impairment, but relatively little research supports their relationship to crash risk,” per the report. “Unlike the research consensus that establishes a clear correlation between [blood alcohol content] and crash risk, …