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“Don’t smoke and drive!”
That’s the advice offered by the lead author of a recent report on marijuana-impaired driving and fatal car crashes involving THC.[i] Akpofure P. Ekeh, MBBS, FACS, a professor of surgery at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, said he was surprised to find that more than 40% of 246 drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes between January 2019 and September 2024 tested positive for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active and impairing ingredient in marijuana.
The report found that the average THC level in motor vehicle fatal crash victims was 30.7 ng/mL, well above the level that would typically cause impairment.
Key Findings on THC and Fatal Car Crashes
A summary of the study’s findings published by the America College of Surgeons highlighted the following:
- “High Prevalence: 103 drivers (41.9%) overall tested positive for THC, with yearly rates ranging from 25.7% to 48.9%.
- “No Effect from Legalization: The rate of drivers who tested positive for THC did not change significantly before or after legalization (42.1% vs. 45.2%), indicating that legal status did not influence the behavior of those who chose to drive after use.
- “Consistent Over Time: The high rate of THC positivity showed no significant change over the six-year study period.”[ii]
“Clearly the legalization of marijuana in many parts of the country took root several years ago,” said Bill Current, President and Founder of the Current Consulting Group. “So much so that this report shows a consistently high and tragic ‘norm’ in the rate of marijuana positivity among drivers who die in motor vehicle crashes.”
The Real Cost of Marijuana-Impaired Driving
Current added: “What this report doesn’t include, but which represents the real tragedy when it comes to marijuana-related traffic fatalities, is the number of innocent people who are killed by marijuana-impaired drivers. If someone chooses to smoke, drive while impaired, and ends up wrapping their car around a telephone pole, you can argue they accepted the risk and bore responsibility for the outcome. But when they cause a head-on collision with another vehicle and wipe out a family, that tragedy could’ve been avoided if not for the use of marijuana.”
That’s what happened the day after Christmas in 2023 when a teenager driving while under the influence of marijuana crossed into oncoming traffic in Johnson County Texas slamming into a Honda Odyssey minivan killing six of the seven passengers.[iii] The lone survivor in the minivan lost his wife, two children, a cousin and his in-laws. A jury ultimately sentenced the marijuana-impaired teen driver to 65 years in prison.
Marijuana Legalization and Traffic Accidents
“People can say that marijuana-related driving fatalities has not been impacted by the legalization movement, but that’s not really true,” Current said. “Legalization has resulted in more people using marijuana, more people driving under the influence of marijuana, and more people dying in marijuana-related accidents. And every corner of society is negatively affected.”
Current pointed out that according to Quest Diagnostics’ annual Drug Testing Index, marijuana positivity following workplace accidents recently reached a 25-year high and has stayed there. “Marijuana positivity following workplace accidents also remains high – post-accident positivity was 7.3% in 2024, just slightly below the record high of 7.5% in 2023.”[iv]
“Certainly, some if not many of those workplace accidents involved marijuana-impaired employees driving within the scope of their employment,” Current added.
Treat Marijuana Like Alcohol: Don’t Smoke and Drive
In the report on marijuana-related driving fatalities in Ohio, Dr. Ekeh offered this sound advice: “People should treat smoking marijuana just like they treat alcohol: don’t smoke and drive.”
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[i] Over 40% of Deceased Drivers in Motor Vehicle Crashes Test Positive for THC, Study Shows. American College of Surgeons. Oct. 2025. https://www.facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2025/over-40-of-deceased-drivers-in-motor-vehicle-crashes-test-positive-for-thc-study-shows/
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Teen Drive Sentenced to 65 Years for Crash that Killed 6 Georgia Family Members. Fox 4 KDFW. Nov. 2025. https://www.fox4news.com/news/teen-driver-sentenced-65-years-crash-killed-6-georgia-family-members
[iv] 2025 Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index. Sept. 2025. https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/2025-09-02-Fentanyl-Positivity-Is-More-Than-Seven-Times-Higher-in-Random-Tests-vs-Pre-Employment-Drug-Screening,-Finds-2025-Quest-Diagnostics-Drug-Testing-Index
Author Bio: Bill Current founded the Current Consulting Group in 1998. He serves on the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA)’s Board of Directors and is an NDASA Foundation Trustee. Mr. Current has served as the former VP of Consulting at Employee Information Services, former Executive Director of the American Council for Drug Education, and the former Director of the Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace. He is the author of 10 books on substance abuse prevention & drug testing.
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With 25 years in the industry, Current Consulting Group is uniquely qualified to meet its dual mission, which is to help employers comply with all applicable drug testing laws and regulations and to help employee screening providers increase revenue, improve profitability, and effectively promote their brand.
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