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Mass. will be first state to add cannabis curriculum to driver’s ed

The “Blunt Truth” curriculum will be implemented in January.

Mass. residents under 18 who take driver's ed will learn about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana starting in January. AP Photo/Elise Amendola

By Clara McCourt

December 13, 2022

Next year, new Massachusetts drivers will be educated on the hazards of marijuana-impaired driving. The move makes Massachusetts the first state in the country with legal recreational marijuana to do so.

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The Registry of Motor Vehicles, or RMV, said Monday that it is adopting a AAA curriculum called “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth About Marijuana and Driving,” in partnership with members of the Cannabis Control Commission. The organizations are formally announcing the program at an event on Friday, The Boston Globe reported.

“This is the first generation of driver education students to be licensed since cannabis became legal in Massachusetts, and AAA research shows that impaired driving crashes may increase and continue to injure and kill motorists and their passengers,” the Registry said in a media advisory obtained by the Globe.

The lessons will cover how tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in marijuana, affects cognition, vision, reaction time, and perception of time and distance behind the wheel.

According to WCVB, officials estimate that approximately 50,000 young drivers will be taught the new program each year in about 700 driving schools statewide.