Massachusetts becomes first state to incorporate marijuana education in driver’s ed

Driver’s education in Massachusetts will now include an entire module on cognitive and physical impairments caused by marijuana use, the state’s Department of Transportation announced earlier this month.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced the change to the state’s driving school curriculum in a press release earlier this month. The program, “Shifting Gears: the Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving,” was developed by the American Automobile Association.

HIGH-MINDED EDUCATION: UNIVERSITIES OFFER CANNABIS CERTIFICATIONS

With the new requirement, set to take effect in January, Massachusetts will be the first state where recreational marijuana use is legal to require driver’s education curriculum to cover the effects of cannabis use.

“Adding information about cannabis to the Massachusetts’s Registry’s driver education class is important for the safety and wellbeing of teens that are just learning to drive,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in the press release. “The new cannabis instruction will help individuals make informed decisions and I am pleased that Massachusetts is leading in including it in driver education.”

According to the press release, the curriculum will be taught to 50,000 student drivers every year and expands on existing instruction on marijuana and THC inhibition.

“Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety sheds…