Estimates of Driving under the Influence of Cannabis in Germany in 2021 before the Partial Legalization

Abstract: Background: Cannabis use acutely impairs cognition, psychomotor coordination, and driving ability. It is associated with an increased risk of car crashes, especially in young drivers. We provide current estimates of driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) in the general population prior to cannabis legalization in Germany. Methods: Data are from the online portion of the 2021 wave of the Epidemiological Survey on Substance Abuse (ESA) with n = 532 adult past 12-month cannabis users. Initial checks conducted to evaluate potential selection bias of completing the ESA online instead of other methods revealed minimal bias. Results: Results indicate that in 2021 approximately 3 % of 12-month cannabis consumers and 0.3 % [95 % CI: 0.2, 0.5] of all respondents of the online portion of the ESA reported at least one instance of DUIC in the past 3 months. When extrapolated to the national population of adults 18 to 64 years old, we estimated 153,438 people [95 % CI: 102,279; 255,697] drove within 2 hours of consuming cannabis in the past 3 months. Conclusions: A small but important minority uses a vehicle shortly after cannabis use. It is important to inform these vulnerable groups about the risks. DUIC needs to be monitored regularly to examine the potential impact of the new cannabis law.