A nationwide survey has shed light on cannabis users’ driving habits. The Canadian Cannabis Survey (CSS), developed and implemented by Health Canada, looked at a range of behaviours relative to cannabis use, including driving.
Among the survey’s insights was data showing a slight decrease in the frequency of people driving shortly after smoking marijuana.
What did the survey show?
The survey looked at driving after smoking cannabis or eating cannabis edibles. Canadians were asked if they had driven within two hours of smoking or vapourising cannabis and whether they had driven within four hours of ingesting a cannabis edible.
The results showed a slight drop in the percentage who reported driving within two hours of smoking/vapourising cannabis. Of those who had used cannabis in the past year, 22% said they had ever driven within two hours of smoking/vaping cannabis, compared to 26% in 2019.
The proportion of people consuming edibles before driving was lower. Out of the respondents for 2020, 13% reported driving within four hours of ingesting a cannabis product. This was a slight decrease from 16% in 2019.
The most common reason given for why they had driven after consuming cannabis was that they did not feel impaired (78%). The second most common reason was was because they thought they could drive carefully (24%), followed by they did not have far to drive (23%), no alternative transportation (12%), and didn’t think they would be caught by police (9%).
Only two percent of respondents reported having an interaction with police in relation to driving under the influence of cannabis, the same as in 2019.
The percentage of people who reported having been a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had recently used cannabis was 23%, a decrease from 28% in 2019.
Are men more likely to use cannabis before driving than women?
The survey revealed some interesting disparities between the driving habits of cannabis users from different demographics. Men were much more likely to smoke or vape cannabis within two hours of driving than women (28% for men compared to 15% for women. Men were also more likely to drive within four hours of ingesting cannabis edibles than women (17% versus 9%).
| Demographic group | Ever driven within 2 hours of smoking or vaping cannabis | Ever driven within 4 hours of ingesting a cannabis product |
| (%) | (%) | |
| Overall | 22 | 13 |
| Males | 28 | 17 |
| Females | 15 | 9 |
| 16-19 years | 16 | 12 |
| 20-24 years | 22 | 12 |
| 25+ years | 23 | 14 |
Are younger people more likely to use cannabis and drive?
The CSS showed smoking or vaping cannabis within two hours of driving was most prevalent among people aged 20 to 25 and those aged 25 and older. In fact, such behaviour was significantly less prevalent among teens aged between 16 and 19. Whereas 23% of those aged 25 years and older and 22% of those aged 20 to 24 said they did it, the percentage for 16 to 19-year-olds was 16%.
Ingesting a cannabis product within four hours of driving was as prevalent among adults as younger people, remaining between 12 and 14% for all age groups.
Cannabis use in combination with alcohol
The people who reported driving after consuming cannabis were also asked if they did so in combination with alcohol and other drugs. Among that group, 19% said they had used cannabis in combination with alcohol. This figure was unchanged from 2019. Again, this behaviour was more prevalent among men (21%) than women (15%).
The same group was asked if they drove a vehicle within two hours of using cannabis in combination with other drugs. The proportion who said they did remained the same as last year at 7%.
Opinions on cannabis use and driving
While 83% of respondents believed cannabis use affects driving – a decrease from 85% in 2019 – 77% of cannabis users thought it did. In fact, 7% of cannabis users believed it had no effect on driving.
Nearly a third of people (31%) said they did not know how long it takes until it is safe to drive after using cannabis. A quarter (25%) said it takes eight or more hours and 15% said three to five hours. When asked how likely it was that police would catch a person driving under the influence of cannabis, 45% said it was “likely” while 41% said it was “somewhat likely”.
How Health Canada obtained the data
The survey is based on more than 10,000 responses from people aged 16 years and older from across Canada. Health Canada recruited survey respondents over the phone from a list of random telephone numbers. After passing a set of screening questions, they were sent a link to an online survey. Of the responses received, 1,142 people who indicated that they had used cannabis in the past 12 months shared their cannabis and driving habits.
If you have been charged with cannabis-impaired driving, call us, free, on 604-685-8889.