GHSP: High Driving Still Means Driving Under the Influence

Monday, April 20, is a cultural day for people who use marijuana medicinally or recreationally.  

But the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) has a warning; marijuana impairs your judgment and your reaction time. Driving while high is no different than driving under the influence of alcohol. And both can get you in trouble.  

April 20 is also known as 420, a day many choose to celebrate getting high. But according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 26% of drivers killed or seriously injured in crashes tested positive for marijuana. 

“It is a common and deadly misconception that people drive ‘better’ while high,” said Jack McNeely, director of the GHSP. “The reality is that marijuana slows your reaction time and impairs your judgment. If you feel different, you drive different.” 

West Virginians are urged to take the following precautions: 

• Plan Your Ride: Before using marijuana, designate a sober driver, book a rideshare, or call a taxi. 

• Intervene: If a friend is about to drive high, take their keys and help them find a safe way home. 

• Report: If you spot an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement immediately. 

“It is important for drivers to understand that driving while under the influence of cannabis is impaired driving, and it can result in a DUI arrest,” Huntington Police Department Sgt. Joey Koher, the WV Drug Evaluation Classification (DEC) Program Coordinator, said.  

For more information on drug-impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired-driving. 

For more information about the GHSP, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov.