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Combining marijuana use and alcohol abuse will double your chances of being charged with drunk driving according to a new study, and this could spell trouble for many individuals. The study shows that individuals who use both alcohol and marijuana in the same time period are twice as likely to engage in drunk driving. These individuals were also three times more likely to get into social trouble as a result of their substance abuse as well. These social troubles can include drunken fights, troubled and broken marriages and family relationships, and lost jobs and ruined careers. Alcohol Research Group associate director and co-author of the study William Kerr explained “There are a lot of problems related to alcohol, and marijuana seems to potentially enhance the effects of alcohol in causing these problems.”

The new study on alcohol abuse, marijuana use, and drunk driving raises a number of concerns. According to Alcohol Research Group associate scientist and lead author of the study Meenakshi Subbaraman “If cannabis use becomes more prevalent as U.S. states and other countries continue to legalize it, then we need to be prepared to advise people appropriately. If you use both substances together, your risk of drunk driving, and possibly other consequences, may be higher than if you stick to using one at a time.” Marijuana advocacy group NORML deputy director Paul Armentano agrees, and stated “NORML has been publicly expressing this caution for years. Research indicates that the combined use of both substances often possesses an additive adverse effect on driving performance and accident risk.”