alcohol Archives - Marijuana Impact Group

Impaired Driving: Roadside Drug Testing a Deterrence

Dale — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:44:32 +0000

According to a recently released study of over 2,600 cannabis users from Australia, 69% of respondent (n=1,790) said the chance of being contacted by police and submitting to “roadside drug testing” was a deterring factor in choosing to drive after consuming cannabis. For those caught driving after using a cannabis product, nearly 20% of respondents felt they were not impaired after use. Highly visible enforcement efforts to detect drug and alcohol drivers is an effective strategy for increased highway safety.

This study demonstrates that the issue of driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) is of concern as its legalization continues for highway safety officials. In Australia, law enforcement uses oral fluid testing to detect drugs such as cannabis, methamphetamine, and ecstasy (MDMA) and portable breath testing for alcohol detection. 73% responded identified medical cannabis as the primary or only source of the cannabis used. Daily use was reported in 59% of the survey respondent (n=1,543).

By THC product type of choice was:

-Predominantly THC products: 42.6% (n=826)

-THC / CBD combined products:23.9% (n=546)

-THC only products: 19% (n=434)

The preferred routes of THC administration were:

-Vaporization: 36.4% (n=918)

-Oral administration: 32.8% (n=826)

-Smoking: 19% (n=434)

Read time: 10-15 minutes

Photo: Pexels.com / Kindel Media

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Monthly cannabis use rates are now greater than alcohol use

admin — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:28:06 +0000

When comparing daily use rates of cannabis to daily alcohol consumption, cannabis users are now 7.4 times more likely to engage in daily use compared to alcohol drinkers. Self-reported cannabis use, in the last 30 days, was nearly 4 times higher than alcohol usage for the same metric. From 1992 until 2022, the reported frequency rate of “daily or near daily” cannabis use increased by nearly 15-fold.

This study was released in the academic journal “Addiction” by Carnegie Mellon Professor, Dr. Jonathan Caulkins. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), from 1979 – 2022, frequency of use rates for alcohol and cannabis were assessed from the over 1.6 million survey respondents. Cannabis use frequency rates were at it all time low in 1992, but they have continued to increase to currently outpacing those who drink alcohol. While the number of people who drink alcohol versus use cannabis is greater, the frequency rate of cannabis use is higher by 3 – 4 times that of alcohol consumption.

Factors that have contributed to the increase in cannabis use include the nationwide push towards legalization, a reduction in criminal consequences and an overall loosening of public policy and opinion.

Read Time: ~10 minutes

Photo: OpenArt / MIG

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Midwest Impact Report, 2024

admin — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:56:02 +0000

The Midwest HIDTA’s seven-state area consists of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the three Illinois counties of Madison, Rock Island, and St. Clair. The region spans over 428,000 square miles, encompasses 73 HIDTA-designated counties, and is considered the largest of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s 33 HIDTA regions. It is as varied as it is vast, and incorporates major urban cities, separated by suburban sprawl and rural countryside. Within the Midwest HIDTA are more than 4,300 miles of interstate highways and an international border stretching over 300 miles. Its central location and intertwining roadways, make the region ideal for drug trafficking organizations and criminals’ intent on transporting drugs into or through to other destinations.