In recent years, AAA has become increasingly active around cannabis. Already, AAA has spoken out against legalization efforts in some states considering reforms. And now, AAA’s Auto Club Group has, for the first time, created a dedicated grant program aimed at reducing the number of cannabis-impaired driving collisions.
Just over $100,000 is headed toward more than 30 police departments and sheriff’s offices across Illinois, as well as to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and the ThinkFirst Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. The grants will be used toward public education, and to buy equipment for law enforcement officers. For example, some funds will go toward Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, a program developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Some funds will be used for ToxOptix X3 UV pen lights, which drug recognition experts sometimes use to help identify drug residue, and Fatal Vision Marijuana Goggles, which educators use to simulate the effects of cannabis consumption. The Illinois State Police was the largest single recipient, which received enough grant funding to purchase a goggles kit for each of its 21 districts.
“ACG allocates funds every year for grants to support traffic safety in the communities we serve. We focused on marijuana impaired driving this year because of the legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois, which took effect January 1,” Nick Jarmusz, director of public affairs for AAA’s Auto Club Group midwest region, told Cannabis Wire. “We wanted to help educate the public on the dangers of using marijuana before driving, and help give law enforcement the tools they need to identify marijuana impairment on the roadside.”
When asked if AAA’s Auto Club Group will launch similar efforts in other states with legal adult use cannabis, Jarmusz said, “We provide traffic safety grants every year, and marijuana impaired driving will continue to be a priority for us. But we have not yet decided if we will do another special round of grants exclusively for these items.”
There is no national standard yet for measuring cannabis impaired driving, as there is for alcohol. Determining intoxication is complicated by the fact that the effects of cannabis use vary depending on a person’s tolerance. Further, the exact form cannabis impairment takes on the road is poorly understood. While research is underway on breathalyzers and saliva tests, field sobriety tests conducted by police are the most common method for determining impairment.
Reliance on the discretion of law enforcement could have a greater impact on communities of color, as they are already more likely than whites to be arrested for cannabis possession. A recent study from the Stanford School of Engineering found that, when it comes to pulled over drivers, the cars of those who are Black or Hispanic are searched more often by police than the cars of white drivers.
The full list of grant recipients includes:
Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists Organization
Chicago Police Memorial Foundation
Child Care Resource & Referral Network/Illinois Department of Transportation
DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team
Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
Illinois State Police
Illinois Liquor Control Commission
DuPage County Sheriff’s Office
Kane County Sheriff’s Office
Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement – Chicago Metropolitan Chapter
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Rush Copley Hospital
ThinkFirst Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Addison Police Department
Arlington Heights Police Department
Aurora Police Department
Bloomington Police Department
Campton Hills Police Department
Chatham Police Department
Chenoa Police Department
Crystal Lake Police Department
Deerfield Police Department
Elgin Police Department
Evanston Police Department
Glen Ellyn Police Department
Gurnee Police Department
Lake Zurich Police Department
Lincolnwood Police Department
Lockport Police Department
Maywood Police Department
Mendota Police Department
Minooka Police Department
Moline Police Department
Naperville Police Department
Niles Police Department
Oswego Police Department
Riverside Police Department
Rockford Police Department
Rockton Police Department
Roscoe Police Department
Tinley Park Police Department
Wheaton Police Department
