Safety Health Understanding Cannabis Resources

Staying Safe Starts With You

Choosing to use cannabis? There are a few steps you can take to reduce the health and safety risks for yourself and those around you—from planning ahead so you don’t drive high to storing your cannabis where little hands and paws can’t reach.

Traffic Safety

Driving under the influence of cannabis is dangerous—and illegal. If you choose to use, help protect others by staying where you are or planning a safe ride before you use.

Cannabis can slow your reaction time, affect coordination, and cloud your judgment. Driving or operating heavy machinery after using isn’t safe—even if you feel okay. That includes biking and scootering, which aren’t safer alternatives when you’re high. Don’t get behind the wheel—or the handlebars—and don’t ride with someone who has used.

Cannabis won’t help you “sober up” after drinking. In fact, mixing cannabis and alcohol significantly decreases your ability to drive safely. In 2023, 162 fatal car crashes in Washington state involved a driver under the influence of more than one substance—most often alcohol and cannabis.

If you plan to use cannabis, plan your ride ahead of time. Ask a friend to drive, call a rideshare, or hop on public transit. If none of that’s possible, stay where you are.

If you know someone who plans to drive after using cannabis, step in to help keep them and others safe. Offer them a ride, your couch, or help with finding another way home.

Having cannabis out in your car is illegal, even if you’re not the driver. Keep your cannabis sealed, in its original packaging, and out of reach in the trunk.

80% of Washingtonians take action to stop others from driving impaired.

Safe Storage

Storing your cannabis safely helps prevent accidental ingestion, which can pose a serious risk for kids and pets.

Keep cannabis out of sight and out of reach in a locked cabinet or container.

Keep products in their labeled and child-resistant or resealable packaging.

If you make your own edible cannabis products, be sure to clearly label and securely store them.

If you need to toss your cannabis, mix it with coffee grounds or cat litter, seal it in a container, and put it in a trash can with a secure lid.

Call 911 for medical emergencies from accidental cannabis consumption or bad reactions, like a seizure, trouble breathing, or if someone can’t be awakened. For non-urgent matters, contact the Washington Poison Center online or call (800) 222-1222. If you think your pet has consumed cannabis, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or your veterinarian.

FAQs

Yes, you can be charged. This charge, Actual Physical Control of a Motor Vehicle, aims to prevent individuals under the influence from sleeping in their cars and then driving while still impaired.

Yes. You can be charged with a DUI even if you are below the legal limit for THC (five ng/mL) or alcohol (0.08). Impairment can occur below these levels, and in Washington, the actual limit is when a driver is noticeably affected.

Cannabis can affect your coordination, reaction time, and judgment for hours after use. A good rule is to wait at least six hours after smoking less than 35 mg of THC, and at least eight hours after eating or drinking less than 18 mg. If you used more, or consumed cannabis with alcohol, you need to wait even longer. The best move is to plan a safe ride ahead or stay where you are after using.

Call 911 for medical emergencies from accidental cannabis consumption or bad reactions, like a seizure, trouble breathing, or if someone can’t be awakened. For non-urgent matters, contact the Washington Poison Center online or call (800) 222-1222. If you think your pet has consumed cannabis, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or your veterinarian.

Youth who use cannabis are at a greater risk for health impacts as the brain continues to develop until the mid-20s. Using cannabis can interrupt the brain’s connections that control movement, emotions, attention, and learning. It can also amplify stress, anxiety, depression, and paranoia. And cannabis can harm your ability to breathe and impair coordination and judgement, which can lead to risky situations like riding with a high driver. Finally, because their brains are still developing, youth are at an increased risk of addiction from using cannabis. More information at YouCanWA.org.

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