1. Marijuana Surveillance
How to monitor the impact of legalizing marijuana on traffic safety
THC in Washington State: An Update
Staci Hoff, PhD, Research Director
Washington Traffic Safety Commission
Traffic Records Forum: August 7, 2017

2. Overview Data – What you need to know and where to get it!
Partnerships – Who’s doing what? Who got resources?

3. DATA
What’s already available and what can (and should) be created.

4. Fatal Crash Data
Is there a law requiring blood testing for intoxicants?
See Washington RCW
Which toxicology lab(s) in your state process fatal crash-involved/DUI driver blood samples?
Does your state FARS collect driver information from toxicology labs?
Can you measure poly-drug use among drivers?
All fatal crash information shown on the following slides are from the WA FARS Analytical File preliminary

5. Washington Fatal Crashes involving Cannabis

6. Are Drivers Being Tested?

7. THC versus Carboxy-THC

8. THC or Poly-Drug Problem?
~ Three Quarters of Cannabinoid positive drivers in fatal crashes have other substances in their system.

9. Driving Impairment by THC is different than poly-drugs and alcohol
Other Differences:
*Driver Factors
Speeding
Seatbelt Use
Distraction
Lane Weaving
Fail to Yield
*Number of Units
*Rural/Urban
*Weekend/weekday

10. Survey Data
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
Who manages these surveys in your state?
Is there a process for adding additional questions?
State-sponsored surveys
Roadside surveys

11. WA BRFSS

12. WA Healthy Youth Survey

13. WA Young Adult Survey Ages 18-25

14. WA Young Adult Survey
Ages 18-25
Slide from “Washington State Young Adult Health Survey Update”, May 25, 2016,

15. WA Young Adult Survey
Slide from “Preliminary Findings from the Young Adult Health Survey”, April 26, 2017,

16. WA Roadside Survey

17. National Surveys National Survey on Drug Use and Health - SAMHSA
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) - CDC
National Roadside Survey - NHTSA
Monitoring the Future Survey – NIDA

18. DUI/DRE/Toxicology Data
Washington is in the process of implementing an electronic DUI packet integrating DUI stops, DRE assessments, and Toxicology submissions/outcomes
TRF 2018?

19. Partnerships
Who is on this journey with you?

20. What did legalization do for traffic safety surveillance?
Who is conducting evaluations (directive or voluntary)?
Who is conducting research and development?
Who got resources for prevention and marketing?
Can data collection systems be improved, modified, or expanded?
What have other states developed?

21. Show me the Money!
Source:

22. Marijuana Revenue - WA Department of Social and Health Services
Healthy Youth Survey
Prevention and Reduction of Substance Use
Department of Health – Marijuana Education and Public Health Program
Washington State Institute for Public Policy – Cost-Benefit Evaluation
University of Washington
Educational website
Research on the short- and long-term effects
Washington State University
Measurement of intoxication and impairment
Liquor Cannabis Board – Administration

23. Partnership Projects https://www.warecoveryhelpline.org/

24. Research
Washington State University Roadside Testing Instrument

25. Hey! Can we get in on that?!
We knew what participants smoked (packaging labels), ~how much they smoked, self-assessment of 6 (on the 1-10 high scale), when they smoked, and when their blood was drawn! So how well do they perform on SFST?
WTSC contracted with City of Pullman PD to pay overtime to ARIDE trained officers to administer SFST to the ‘stoned’ volunteers and volunteer controls.
EARLY RESULTS:
Chronic Users: 72% PASS
Casual Users: 57% PASS
Officers generally seemed to know when subjects were under the influence, but was independent of SFST outcomes.
Most stoned participants interviewed following the SFST felt like they did not do well and said even though they passed, they would not be driving!

26. Graduate Programs
Share your research ideas/needs with Universities – they have an abundance of graduate students looking for thesis and dissertation topics!
WTSC wanted research that focused on THC drivers with NO OTHER DRUGS/ALCOHOL. What is this populations’ role in fatal crashes?
Qualitative review of narratives/diagrams to assign culpability. AND…
Propensity Score Matching to KNOWN CLEAN DRIVERS to evaluate fatal crash driver factors for THC only, Alcohol only, THC and Alcohol only (compared to clean drivers).
EARLY RESULTS:
Through PSM Analysis with known clean:
THC only drivers more likely to be distracted (inattention, lane weaving, fail to yield, etc.)
Alcohol only drivers more likely to speed
THC+Alcohol drivers more likely to be distracted AND speed

27. Don’t forget the industry!
Driving under the influence of marijuana is bad for business and community relations. Look for opportunities to work with the industry!

28. Summary
Data is important. You need to know the limitations of drugged driving data and support improvements to the completeness and accuracy of that information by collaborating with FARS units and toxicology labs.
In addition to federal surveys, state-funded surveys should be implemented to monitor use and driving.
Partnerships are essential. Find out who got funding and get creative with incorporating traffic safety messaging and research into existing efforts.
Look for opportunities to work with the industry in promoting traffic safety.