There are serious risks associated with driving after cannabis use. After analyzing blood samples from over 4,000 moderately injured drivers between 2013 and 2020, our recent study found that THC is being detected in twice as many injured drivers since cannabis was legalized in Canada.

Our findings also suggest that more is needed to deter this dangerous behaviour in light of (Cannabis) legalization.

It’s concerning that we’re seeing such a dramatic increase.

Detecting cannabis, especially at low concentrations, doesn’t necessarily mean a driver is impaired. But the risk is real with higher THC levels, which is why it’s so important that we continue to assess and respond to the impact that legalization is having on road safety.

Our team is now expanding this research to fifteen trauma centres across Canada, where we will investigate the prevalence of cannabinoids, alcohol, and other impairing substances in injured drivers.
We hope that these results will help guide national and provincial traffic policy.

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