A report from the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse says that the rate of cannabis-impaired driving in Canada has doubled since 1989, the Winnipeg Free Press reported Dec. 20.

The group added that young Canadians appear to be driving under the influence of marijuana or hashish about as often as they drink and drive. The survey found that 4.9 percent of respondents said they had driven within two hours of using cannabis within the past year. Males were much more likely to smoke marijuana and drive than females.

Canada's new Conservative government has proposed a major crackdown on drug-impaired driving. Researchers noted, however, that the extent to which driving while under the influence of marijuana or hashish is related to automobile crashes is unknown.