“The messaging over the last few years has been just the push towards recreational legalization,” said lead author of the study, Akpofure P. Ekeh, a professor of surgery at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, in a press release.
“The problem is that from a public health standpoint, there has not been enough emphasis on some of the downsides and the dangers that can occur. People should treat smoking marijuana just like they treat alcohol: don’t smoke and drive,” he added.
For the study, researchers analyzed coroner records from Montgomery County, Ohio, from 2019 to 2024 detailing the cases of 246 deceased drivers who were tested for THC after a fatal crash. Blood levels of THC are typically assessed within hours of death, meaning the coroner’s records accurately depict the driver’s state at the time of crash, wrote the researchers in their study.
Ultimately, 103 drivers- or 41.9%- tested positive for THC, with yearly rates ranging between 25.7% and 48.9%. Drivers who tested positive had an average blood concentration of 30.7 ng/mL, which exceeds most state impairment limits, which typically range between 2 and 5 ng/mL.
“I was surprised to see that level. An average level of 30.7 ng/mL generally means those people must have consumed marijuana at some time close to driving. This isn’t about residual use; it’s about recent consumption,” said Ekeh.
Ohio legalized recreational cannabis in 2023. The study found, however, that legalization did not significantly change the rate of drivers who tested positive for THC. High rates of THC positivity remained more or less consistent over the six-year study.
Sources: EurekAlert
