The Cannabis Conversation Starts Talks with Coloradans
March was a big month for CDOT's new drugged driving campaign, The Cannabis Conversation. Launched in early February, the campaign was in full swing in March. To date, the campaign's online survey has received more than 11,655 responses.
Direct engagement reached Coloradans along the Front Range, with public open house and town hall-style meetings in Pueblo, Denver and Fort Collins. Open to cannabis users and non-users, attendees interacted with representatives from CDOT, the Department of Public Safety, the cannabis industry, law enforcement and community healthcare.
The goal of the campaign is to start a conversation about marijuana use and driving to better understand why people drive high, and to talk about potential solutions. The events were successful and well-covered by the media.
Media Coverage:
CSU-Pueblo Meeting
Montclair Recreation Center Meeting
What have we learned so far?
- The campaign has been well received, and government, cannabis industry, law enforcement and municipalities are all showing a strong willingness to engage in the conversation and work together to find solutions.
- Cannabis users have strong concerns over the efficacy and legitimacy of field sobriety testing and have requested more and better data collection regarding traffic safety and marijuana use.
- Many agree that driving impaired is a problem, but more discussion is necessary to identify new and effective ways to convince people to not drive high.
April will also be an active month for the campaign. CDOT and campaign partners will continue to engage the public at the Denver Auto Show, CSU Pueblo's Institute of Cannabis Research annual conference and of course, 4/20 festivities are just around the corner.
To take the online survey and to learn more about the campaign, visit ColoradoCannabisConvo.com.
