Report Scans Marijuana Legalization’s Impacts on Impaired Driving Systems
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2017
Contact: Kara Macek, kmacek@ghsa.org
202-789-0942 x140
Law enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, and toxicology among areas examined
Every state has laws dealing with alcohol-impaired driving and drug-impaired driving. But unlike the laws for drunk driving, those that address drugged driving are nuanced, difficult to enforce and prosecute and vary substantially by state.
In addition to general impairment laws, there are two basic laws that states tend to use when addressing drug-impaired driving:
18 states have zero tolerance or non-zero per se laws for marijuana.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on drug-impaired driving laws other than what is presented here. A compilation of state marijuana laws is available via the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and information on marijuana-impaired driving laws is available from the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving (NASID). For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.
Sources: State Highway Safety Offices.
Last updated in January 2024. Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in March 2023.
Per se >0 for some drugs
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
THC per se (5 ng)
Per se >0 for some drugs
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
THC per se (2 ng)
Per se >0 for some drugs
Legal for medical use
THC per se (5 ng)
Permissible inference law >0 for THC
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
Permissible inference for THC (5 ng)
None
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
None
None
Legal for medical use
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
None
None
Decriminalized
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
None
None
None
Legal for medical use
Decriminalized
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
None
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
None
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Illegal
Zero tolerance for delta-9-THC
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Legal for medical use
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Illegal
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Legal for medical use
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Legal for medical use
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Decriminalized
None
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational (effective 8/1/23) use
Zero tolerance for THC but no restriction on metabolites (effective 8/1/23)
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Legal for medical and recreational use
Zero tolerance for THC
None
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Illegal
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Illegal
Zero tolerance for THC
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Illegal
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
THC per se (5 ng)
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Illegal
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Legal for medical use
Zero tolerance for THC and metabolites
None
Illegal
None
None
Illegal
None
None
Illegal
None
None
Decriminalized for legal for medical use
None
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
None
None
Illegal
None
None
Illegal
None
None
Legal for medical use
None
None
Legal for medical use
None
None
None
Illegal
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
THC per se (2 ng) for felony violations
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical use
None
None
None
Illegal
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
None
None
Per se >0 for some drugs
None
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
None
None
None
None
Legal for medical use
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
None
None
Per se >0 for some drugs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2017
Contact: Kara Macek, kmacek@ghsa.org
202-789-0942 x140
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2017
Contact: Kara Macek, kmacek@ghsa.org
202-789-0942 x140
To confront the complex and evolving issue of drugged driving, GHSA and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) produced Drug-Impaired Driving: A Guide for States, 2017 Update.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2017
Contact: Kara Macek, kmacek@ghsa.org
202-789-0942 x140
When the Illinois Department of Transportation's Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering received GHSA and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility's 2016 drugged driving grant, they planned to use the money to conduct 10 ARIDE classes in the state.
In 2014 Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. That same year Colorado launched its Drive High, Get a DUI campaign to inform the public that the state’s DUI law includes impairment by marijuana.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2016
Contact: Kara Macek, kmacek@ghsa.org
202-789-0942 x140
GHSA works with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) to combat the growing issue of drugged driving.