The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) of Massachusetts has announced that beginning in January 2023, the Commonwealth will be the first recreational-use cannabis state in the country to adopt “Shifting Gears: the Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving,” a curriculum developed by AAA to inform teenagers of the dangers of driving while under the influence of cannabis.
Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie, Cannabis Control Commission Commissioner Kimberly Roy, AAA Northeast Vice President of Public & Government Affairs Mary Maguire, and Newton Chief of Police John Carmichael made the announcement at the Worcester Registry of Motor Vehicles.
This material will be included in the present driver education module addressing impaired driving. Research by the AAA indicates that impaired driving crashes may increase and continue to hurt and kill motorists and their passengers, and this is the first generation of driver education students to receive licenses since cannabis became legal in Massachusetts.
In excess of 460 driving schools across Massachusetts will implement the Shifting Gears cannabis-impaired driving curriculum, reaching an estimated 50,000 teen motorists annually. Governor Charlie Baker has stated that adding cannabis knowledge to the Massachusetts Registry’s driver education curriculum is vital to the health and safety of newly licensed drivers.
“I am glad that Massachusetts is leading the way in adding cannabis information in driver education. The new curriculum will help folks make informed decisions.” New drivers will be more informed and educated about the risks associated with driving while under the influence of cannabis thanks to the new curriculum, according to Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito.
To ensure that research-based information and safety messaging on cannabis was integrated as a key component of all driver’s education to help reduce crashes and help keep all roadway users safe, the curriculum was developed and reviewed collaboratively by public and private stakeholders, academia, students, and their peers.
Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie said, “We are pleased to incorporate this new cannabis curriculum video into the RMV’s existing educational tools and resources that help new drivers learn about the safety impacts, rules and responsibilities, and risks associated with operating motor vehicles on statewide roadways.”
“The video emphasizes the importance of making sober decisions when deciding to operate a vehicle or be a passenger in a vehicle in which the driver may be cannabis-impaired, and it provides detailed information on the effects of cannabis use on driving, including impacts to an individual’s cognitive ability to safely operate a motor vehicle, delays in response time, attention and coordination issues, and the ability to drive straight or “track.”
Young Massachusetts motorists today are the first to hit the road after the state legalized recreational marijuana use. Commissioner Kimberly Roy of the Cannabis Control Commission emphasized the importance of informing people about the effects of THC on the body and the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis.
“With today’s announcement, Massachusetts takes the lead in prevention and raising awareness around this issue by offering a complete, evidence-based cannabis-impaired driving knowledge curriculum to every student in driver’s education,” the release reads.
John Galvin, president, and chief executive officer of AAA Northeast, cited studies from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety to support his claim that states that have legalized recreational marijuana run the risk of seeing an uptick in drivers under the influence of cannabis after the drug was made available to the public.
To counter this, AAA Northeast has created a program to teach new drivers about the dangers of using THC. In order to make sure that every newly licensed driver in Massachusetts has access to accurate information, we are pleased to provide the Commonwealth with this curriculum.
Newton Police Chief John Carmichael spoke on behalf of law enforcement agencies across Massachusetts when he said, “Law enforcement across Massachusetts strongly supports education and awareness as a preventative strategy to promote public safety, especially among our most vulnerable drivers.”
“Student drivers will learn the risks connected with impaired driving and, in particular, how cannabis use can impair one’s ability to drive safely,” the authors write. While the driver’s education module has always touched on the dangers of drinking and driving, the addition of the new topic of “Cannabis Impaired Driving” will broaden its scope.
In addition, we’ll explain what the Implied Consent Law is and why it’s important, and we’ll talk about the penalties that might result from breaking it. Each first-time driver under the age of 18 in Massachusetts must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, and 6 hours of observation while another student is taking behind-the-wheel instruction through the RMV.
Both recreational and medical cannabis are subject to oversight by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. Voters approved a ballot initiative in November 2016, and Governor Charlie Baker signed bipartisan legislation into law in July 2017. The Commission is made up of three members: one appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the Treasurer, and one appointed by the Attorney General, with the remaining two members agreed upon by a majority of the three constitutional officers.
