As Texas lawmakers review how cannabis is regulated and enforced, safety advocates are drawing attention to what they describe as a mounting and often overlooked risk on the state’s roads: drivers impaired by marijuana. Texans for Safe & Drug Free Youth, a statewide prevention group, argues that limiting access to cannabis products remains the most reliable way to curb use and its consequences.
For years, public awareness campaigns have largely centered on drunk driving. But safety officials warn that marijuana use behind the wheel poses its own dangers. With cannabis becoming more socially accepted, researchers and traffic safety groups say data is beginning to show troubling patterns that require closer scrutiny.
Data from the state Crash Records Information System (CRIS) show that collisions involving drivers impaired by marijuana frequently result in serious harm. On average, 78% of these wrecks lead to death or injury. From 2020 through 2024, 602 persons lost their lives in crashes in which marijuana impairment was identified, an annual average of about 120 fatalities.
Surveys tracking substance use among young people also suggest marijuana remains prevalent among Texas youth and college students. The 2024 Texas School Survey revealed that 7.8% of learners in grades 7 to 12 admitted to using cannabis within the past 30 days. About 13.3% said they had experimented with cannabis, while 25.7% of senior students said they had used marijuana at some point in their lives.
According to the Texas College Survey of 2023, 32.9% of college students in the state said they had experimented with marijuana. Close to 13% reported recent use within the previous month.
Traffic safety experts note that young drivers already face elevated crash risks due to inexperience, and the risk increases when substances are involved. Among drivers aged 25 years or younger who died in crashes, 26% tested positive for both cannabis and alcohol.
Data cited by the Governors Highway Safety Association shows that 25% of seriously injured drivers tested positive for marijuana, compared with 23% for alcohol. In 20% of cases, both substances were detected.
According to Texans for Safe & Drug Free Youth CEO Nicole Holt, the figures should prompt serious discussion. She noted that young adult and teenage brains are still developing, particularly in areas that govern decision-making and impulse control. When marijuana use intersects with driving, she said, the results can be devastating.
Advocates are calling for policies designed to limit youth access and discourage impaired driving. Recommended steps include stricter oversight and enforcement, public education campaigns focused on the risks of drugged driving, prevention programs aimed at adolescents, and continued law enforcement efforts.
It is noteworthy that recreational cannabis is prohibited in Texas, and there are no accurate ways to ascertain that a driver was impaired by marijuana when a crash happened. This is because cannabis metabolites remain detectable in blood days and even weeks after someone consumed marijuana.
Stakeholders in the industry, such as Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB), look forward to a time when tools that accurately detect marijuana impairment in drivers are developed and prove their viability in the field.
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