Young Minnesotans Lead in Cannabis Use Behind the Wheel, University Survey Finds
09/25/2026
University of Minnesota researchers spent two summers asking adults at the State Fair and several county fairs a blunt question: had they used cannabis while driving or just before getting behind the wheel. Of more than 2,300 volunteers, about half said they had used cannabis products in the prior year. Among those users, 15.7% admitted they had combined cannabis and driving at least once during that time.
Colin Planalp of the university’s Cannabis Research Center, working with Kathleen Lenk, Eileen Delehanty, Julie Sanem, and Traci Toomey, found the pattern was uneven. Drivers aged 18 to 20 stood out. Almost 30% of cannabis users in that group said they had used and then driven. That age group cannot legally possess cannabis in a vehicle under Minnesota law, regardless of impairment.
Younger respondents were more likely to report the behavior. Older adults who did it tended to do it more often. Among people who admitted driving after cannabis use, roughly one in five said they did so daily or more. Another 17% said they did so weekly or more. About 47% said it happened only once or a few times a year.
Minnesota legalized lower-potency hemp-derived THC edibles and drinks in 2022 and later opened adult-use cannabis sales. Driving while impaired remains illegal whether the cause is alcohol or cannabis. There is no blood-THC limit like the 0.08 alcohol standard. Officers must document visible impairment. The Department of Public Safety ran a 2024 pilot of oral-fluid roadside testers and is seeking authority to use them in the field.
Simulator and traffic studies have shown cannabis can slow reaction time, increase lane weaving, and change how drivers judge speed and distance. Effects can last several hours and do not always match how impaired a person feels. Minnesota also requires unsealed cannabis products in a vehicle to be stored in the trunk, a rule that has produced thousands of possession charges since legalization.
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Colin Planalp of the university’s Cannabis Research Center, working with Kathleen Lenk, Eileen Delehanty, Julie Sanem, and Traci Toomey, found the pattern was uneven. Drivers aged 18 to 20 stood out. Almost 30% of cannabis users in that group said they had used and then driven. That age group cannot legally possess cannabis in a vehicle under Minnesota law, regardless of impairment.
Younger respondents were more likely to report the behavior. Older adults who did it tended to do it more often. Among people who admitted driving after cannabis use, roughly one in five said they did so daily or more. Another 17% said they did so weekly or more. About 47% said it happened only once or a few times a year.
Minnesota legalized lower-potency hemp-derived THC edibles and drinks in 2022 and later opened adult-use cannabis sales. Driving while impaired remains illegal whether the cause is alcohol or cannabis. There is no blood-THC limit like the 0.08 alcohol standard. Officers must document visible impairment. The Department of Public Safety ran a 2024 pilot of oral-fluid roadside testers and is seeking authority to use them in the field.
Simulator and traffic studies have shown cannabis can slow reaction time, increase lane weaving, and change how drivers judge speed and distance. Effects can last several hours and do not always match how impaired a person feels. Minnesota also requires unsealed cannabis products in a vehicle to be stored in the trunk, a rule that has produced thousands of possession charges since legalization.
Reference
