DU-High: Taking a Closer Look at Marijuana Impaired Driving Law Enforcement Training

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug. It is also the most frequently detected non-alcohol substance in drivers in the United States, and has been shown to impair driving performance and increase crash risk. However, the exact level of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana, and its relationship to driving impairment is unknown and often debated. In this session, information will be presented from two major cannabis and driving studies that identified the most frequent indicators of impairment in cannabis impaired drivers with varying blood levels of THC. Information will also be provided on which cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor tasks are most often affected by THC. How those various indicators can be used to assist in identifying impairment using the psychophysical tests officers receive in the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training will also be presented.