Georgia Injury Law Blog
There has been plenty of evidence – driven research into the effects of alcohol on a person’s auto accident risks, but not nearly as much effort has been put into investigating the impact of marijuana or cannabis on a person’s driving abilities. There is a significant likelihood that the use of marijuana may increase the risk of car accidents since it may slow reaction time.
Millions of Americans use marijuana. According to some statistics, in 2023 more than 61 million Americans admitted to using marijuana at least once in the past year. Those numbers have been rising steadily over the years. In 2013, only about 7% of adult Americans admitted to using marijuana. By 2023, approximately 15% of all Americans admitted to using marijuana. Many states have also legalized the use of marijuana, and have found a significant impact on their car accident rates since the legalization of the drug. While Georgia does not have laws that allow the use of marijuana, the state does see thousands of car accidents every year caused by people who are driving under the influence of cannabis.
Researchers say that with the growing use of marijuana across the country, it is important to investigate the amount of the drug that a person can have in his system before it begins to affect his driving abilities. There is much that we know about the impact of alcohol on a person’s driving abilities and this is the reason why we have laws that make it illegal for persons to operate a motor vehicle when they have more than the allowed blood alcohol concentration. In all 50 states, including Georgia, that limit is 08. There has been no such intensive research into the amount of marijuana that can seriously affect a person’s driving abilities.