CLEVELAND — Officers from Northeast Ohio said legalizing recreational marijuana would be bad for the state. Now, one year after adult-use cannabis sales began in Ohio, we’ll show you what’s happening with safety on our roads.
Matt Oakes’ addiction started with marijuana when he was 11 years old. “You know, we’d be at a school dance and that was the thing to have if you wanted friends,” said Oakes.
MATT: 'CHASING THIS LEVEL OF DOPAMINE'
As he got older, he did heavier drugs like cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. “I am chasing this level of dopamine that I started with smoking marijuana,” he described. He admits to, at times back then, driving high on THC. “It didn’t seem like it was a problem,” said Oakes. “Looking back now, a lot of the choices that I made, obviously, were problems.”
WITH MONTHS OF RECREATIONAL SALES IN 2024
Police predicted problems with legal weed and our roads. The most recent state data is from 2024. Ohio crashes involving marijuana are down by 93 cases or 7% from 2023. OVI arrests with suspected marijuana are down 79 incidents or 5%. Fatal crashes involving cannabis are down 53 cases or 17%.
However, we’ve still had death on our roads. In fact, there were 28 cases just from our area during the last five months of 2024 that troopers reported involved marijuana -months when recreational weed was legally sold.
It’s a long list of crashes that includes an accident in Portage County last October. Prosecutors claim Matthew Simms crossed the center line, hit and killed two people in another car, all while he was high on marijuana. Simms pleaded not guilty. The trial is scheduled for February.
WHAT DOES IMPAIRMENT LOOK LIKE?
Defense attorneys, in general, who handle these kinds of cases, told us they are a little more difficult to defend. Attorney Pat Farrell said more education and studies are needed about just what intoxicating levels are. He said here in Ohio, the law includes a low amount. “The levels of marijuana or THC that’s in your system is at a pretty low threshold right now,” said Farrell. “If you’re a recreational user, and you go out and drive, you’re probably going to be over that limit.”
Ohio legislators are looking at what levels of THC should trigger an OVI charge. There’s a bill being considered that changes it from the current 2 nanograms to 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood.
But then there’s a shocking, years-long study that came out just last month, focusing on Montgomery County near Dayton. Of all the drivers who died in any crash, 41.9% “tested positive for active THC…with an average level of 30.7 ng/ml — far exceeding most state impairment limits.”
RECOVERY SERVICES HELPING THOSE IN NEED
Northeast Ohio addiction services are stepping in to help with some of these issues.
Caleigh Hoskins is the CEO of Skypoint Recovery in Akron, and said it’s grown so much they’re moving into a bigger building. From medical detox, outpatient treatment, aftercare and more, Hoskins said Skypoint is trying to keep people safe. It’s not easy. “You have so many guys out there that don’t get to come back that you lose in this process,” she said while wiping away tears. “So, recovery is so important.”
And they said that more available THC products don’t make it any easier. “It’s crazy how we’ve gotten here, but it adds just a little bit more to the work that we need to do and trying to address it,” said Skypoint’s Director of Business Development Teri Falkenstein.
Oakes has addressed his addiction issues. He’s sober now and is part of the Skypoint staff. He warned everyone that you never want to be a part of a crash scene where lives have been changed in an instant. “If you hurt someone, weigh your options. Is a $12 Uber that expensive?” said Oakes.
How do you test for THC? A blood sample is the gold standard. Ohio troopers are also using saliva tests. We also found the University of Colorado Boulder is working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, developing a breathalyzer to find THC similar to an alcohol breathalyzer test. So far, they’ve discovered THC levels after people have used gummies.
