“Just a Habit”: Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis as Ordinary, Convenient, and Controllable Experiences According to Drivers in a Remedial Program

• Date: 01 July 2019
• Author: Bruna Brands,Christine M. Wickens,Tara Marie Watson,Robert E. Mann
• Published date: 01 July 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/0022042619842375
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042619842375

Journal of Drug Issues

2019, Vol. 49(3) 531 –544

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0022042619842375

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Article

“Just a Habit”: Driving Under the

Influence of Cannabis as Ordinary,

Convenient, and Controllable

Experiences According to Drivers in

a Remedial Program

Tara Marie Watson1, Robert E. Mann1,2, Christine M. Wickens1,2,

and Bruna Brands1,2,3

Abstract

As numerous jurisdictions worldwide are liberalizing cannabis laws, there is increasing need to

understand the social contexts and individual perceptions involved in driving under the influence

of cannabis (DUIC). We conducted 20 one-to-one interviews with adult participants recruited

from a remedial program for drivers convicted of or suspended for impaired driving. Study

eligibility included having driven a motor vehicle within an hour of using cannabis in the last

year. Many participants described DUIC as part of ordinary or routine experiences. Despite

availability of other transportation options, DUIC was often preferred due to convenience and

cost-effectiveness. While most recalled feeling some effects of cannabis use or high while driving,

many reported that they did not feel a need to compensate for impairment. Our findings—

particularly that of DUIC as a regularly occurring behavior—highlight important challenges for

designing effective education and prevention initiatives.

Keywords

cannabis, driving, interviews, motivations

Introduction

Roadside survey data from studies in Canada, the United States, Australia, and various European

nations often show that the most common form of drug-driving—which can take many forms and

involve polysubstance use—involves cannabis (e.g., Beirness & Beasley, 2010; Berning,

Compton, & Wochinger, 2015; Davey, Leal, & Freeman, 2007; Verstraete & Legrand, 2014).

Although meta-analyses report statistically increased collision risk associated with driving under

the influence of cannabis (DUIC; Asbridge, Hayden, & Cartwright, 2012; Elvik, 2013; Li et al.,

2012; Rogeberg & Elvik, 2016), the exact magnitude of this risk is presently a matter of empirical

debate and more high-quality studies on the effects of acute cannabis intoxication on driving are

1Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

3Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Corresponding Author:

Tara Marie Watson, Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health

Policy Research, 33 Russell Street, 3rd floor Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada.

Email: taramarie.watson@camh.ca

842375JODXXX10.1177/0022042619842375Journal of Drug IssuesWatson et al.

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