2 years after marijuana legalized, drug-impaired driving remains a concern – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

By Brendan J. Lyons | Times Union, Albany (TNS)

Albany, N.Y. — The number of motorists charged with driving under the influence of narcotics, including marijuana, has risen steadily over the past five years in New York. In 2021, the year the state legalized marijuana, more than 10 percent of the impaired-driving tickets that were issued involved drug use, records show.

It’s unclear whether marijuana legalization is having a direct impact on the increase in drug-impaired driving, especially as the nation is experiencing a fentanyl epidemic and the overall use of opioids and other narcotics has soared.