CDC Report: Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Rose From 2016 to 2019
National survey data showed marijuana-impaired driving increased from 4.5% to 5.3% of drivers between 2016 and 2019, even as alcohol-impaired driving declined slightly.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
In 2019, 5.3% of US drivers reported driving under the influence of marijuana in the past year, up from 4.5% in 2016. Meanwhile, alcohol-impaired driving decreased slightly. Among drivers who did not always wear seatbelts, alcohol-impaired driving decreased while marijuana-impaired driving increased.
Key Numbers
2019 prevalence: DUIA 8.3%, DUIM 5.3%, DUID 0.9%. DUIM was highest among males (7.0%), non-heterosexual drivers (14.7%), drivers aged 21-25, and those who did not always wear seatbelts (11.5%). DUIM increased from 4.5% to 5.3% from 2016 to 2019.
How They Did This
Analysis of 2016-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) public-use data, limited to drivers aged 16 and older. Prevalence estimates were calculated overall and by sociodemographic characteristics, with trend analysis across the four-year period.
Why This Research Matters
This CDC report provides national-level trend data showing marijuana-impaired driving is growing, particularly as more states legalize cannabis. Unlike alcohol-impaired driving, there are no established evidence-based prevention strategies for marijuana-impaired driving.
The Bigger Picture
While the US has decades of research and proven interventions for alcohol-impaired driving, marijuana-impaired driving is a growing challenge without equivalent solutions. The diverging trends (alcohol down, marijuana up) suggest a shifting risk landscape on American roads.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-reported data likely underestimates actual impaired driving prevalence. The survey ended in 2019, before the pandemic and additional state legalizations. NSDUH does not include institutionalized populations or people experiencing homelessness.
Questions This Raises
- ?How has marijuana-impaired driving changed since 2019, with additional states legalizing?
- ?What prevention strategies are most effective for reducing DUIM?
- ?Does the seatbelt finding suggest a general risk-taking profile among DUIM drivers?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 5.3% of US drivers reported driving under the influence of marijuana in 2019
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative survey with multi-year trend data from a US federal agency.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication using 2016-2019 data
- Original Title:
- Special Report from the CDC: Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs among drivers aged ≥16 years - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2016-2019.
- Published In:
- Journal of safety research, 91, 505-515 (2024)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05690
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is marijuana-impaired driving increasing in the US?
Yes. According to this CDC report, the prevalence of driving under the influence of marijuana rose from 4.5% to 5.3% between 2016 and 2019.
How common is marijuana-impaired driving compared to alcohol?
In 2019, 5.3% of drivers reported driving under the influence of marijuana vs 8.3% for alcohol. Marijuana-impaired driving is the second most common form of impaired driving.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05690APA
Schumacher, Amy C; De Crescenzo, Lauren A; Yellman, Merissa A; Sauber-Schatz, Erin K. (2024). Special Report from the CDC: Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs among drivers aged ≥16 years - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2016-2019.. Journal of safety research, 91, 505-515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2024.09.017
MLA
Schumacher, Amy C, et al. "Special Report from the CDC: Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs among drivers aged ≥16 years - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2016-2019.." Journal of safety research, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2024.09.017
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Special Report from the CDC: Driving under the influence of ..." RTHC-05690. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/schumacher-2024-special-report-from-the
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.