Strategies to Educate the Public and Correct Misunderstandings About Cannabis Use and Impaired Driving

Introduction

Driving under the influence of cannabis is on the rise. While research indicates that cannabis can interfere with driving-related skills, cannabis users increasingly believe there are limited risks associated with driving after cannabis use. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is working with researchers at PIRE Programs NF—a supporting institution of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)—to develop effective messages about safe driving aimed at different cannabis user groups.

Project Goal and Plan

The goal of this project is to generate effective messages to reduce cannabis-impaired driving. The research will conduct focus groups with a diverse body of cannabis users to identify what types of risk and risk themes resonate with cannabis users most, paying attention to any potential differences between subgroups (e.g., in relation to age or medical versus recreational cannabis use). Informed by these focus groups, the project will develop messages intended to dissuade users from driving after using cannabis, and test them with a separate sample of cannabis users to identify which messages are most impactful. Lastly, the project will examine the efficacy of these messages to change hypothetical drugged-driving behavior by using an approach which validates risk messages through a series of vignettes.