As marijuana use becomes increasingly accepted across the U.S., law enforcement and health experts in Wisconsin are warning of a troubling new trend — drugged driving.
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, researcher Heather Barkholtz is leading a study to understand how cannabis products like Delta-8 and Delta-9 affect driving performance. Using a simulator, participants encounter realistic traffic scenarios — such as pedestrians crossing or cars swerving — after consuming controlled doses.
“It’s a four-door vehicle that they drive in, but they’re not actually on the roadway,” Barkholtz explained to WPR. “We have conflicts set up in the simulation to capture how people respond.”
One participant failed to react when another vehicle veered into their lane — a head-on collision in real life. Yet afterward, they told researchers, “It went great.” Barkholtz said this disconnect underscores the danger: “People may not realize how impaired they actually are.”
Public health experts say the problem is growing. “About one in 10 people drive under the influence of alcohol, but now about one in 15 to 20 people drive under the influence of marijuana or other drugs,” said Andrew Yockey, assistant professor of public health at the University of Mississippi. “We’re starting to see data showing drugged driving could surpass drunk driving.”
While marijuana remains illegal in Wisconsin, it’s now fully legalized in 24 states — including neighboring Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota — making cross-border access easy. (RELATED: Healthcare Costs Soar Despite Democrats’ Massive Subsidies to Insurance Industry)
Deputy Robert Leisher with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office said detection is tricky without a reliable roadside test. “If it’s midnight and someone’s eyes are pinpoint, that’s an indicator of narcotics,” he said. “If it’s broad daylight and their eyes are dilated, that’s another sign.”
Wisconsin currently enforces a per-se law, making it illegal to drive with even 1 nanogram or more of Delta-9 THC per milliliter of blood. Some states have gone further, adopting zero-tolerance rules banning any trace of THC in a driver’s system.
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