In November 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis. (Many) politics and (some) physicians promised us breakthroughs in better health. Thirty years later, how are we really doing? Men’s Health decided to find out in this special report package.
A HIT OR two from a friend’s vape at a party, a low-dose gummy at a concert, a THC-infused drink at a comedy show—the average guy would be fine to drive home a few hours after doing any of this, right? Michael Stevens, PhD, director of the Clinical Neuroscience & Development Laboratory at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, has spent roughly a decade trying to answer that question. When I asked Stevens how long he’d recommend a friend wait before getting into a car after taking THC, he joked, “How much do I like this particular hypothetical friend?” before settling on three to six hours.
Yes, that’s a huge range. That uncertainty is a big issue right now, especially as cannabis legalization spreads across the U.S., and researchers beyond Stevens are raising concerns. One 2021 analysis found a 15 percent increase in fatal car crashes following marijuana legalization, and a separate review linked legalization to increases in car accidents, injuries, or fatalities.
Recently, Stevens and his colleagues conducted a lab study involving a high-tech driving simulator. The “car” looks something like an elite gaming rig, complete with a steering wheel, pedals, and a screen that features virtual roadways. After tracking 19 performance metrics over several hours and examining brain activity through an MRI, researchers found that six of those metrics (roughly one-third) showed significant impairment following cannabis use.
Stevens and his team witnessed drivers passing cars too closely or tailgating, increasing the risk of collision. Some drivers failed to make the necessary steering microadjustments to keep their vehicle centered in its lane. It’s probably obvious that participants who inhaled higher-potency cannabis tended to drive worse than those who received lower doses of THC.
But also, THC levels weren’t a strong predictor of who drove more dangerously—and when. Some participants’ dangerous driving faded gradually, says Stevens, while others’ worsened before improving. It’s true, 35 percent of people believe they drive better when high, according to a recent AAA survey.
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