After states legalized medical marijuana, traffic deaths fell

[Blue Shoes]

Legalization of medical marijuana is not linked with increased traffic fatalities, a new study finds. In some states, in fact, the number of people killed in traffic accidents dropped after medical marijuana laws were enacted.

“Instead of seeing an increase in fatalities, we saw a reduction, which was totally unexpected,” said Julian Santaella-Tenorio, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

Since 1996, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical use.

Deaths dropped 11 percent on average in states that legalized medical marijuana, researchers discovered after analyzing 1.2 million traffic fatalities nationwide from 1985 through 2014.

source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-marijuana-traffic-death-idUSKBN14H1LQ

[LonePirate]

1. This is an interesting and unexpected result. Makes me wonder what else is impacted.

[LiberalLovinLug]

2. What I fear is MADD and fundementalist puritans will freak out and insist on unfair DUI laws

Starting to use THC detectors. Every study done on driving after smoking pot shows very minimal negative effect. Lack of sleep or too much coffee has more of an effect. Some studies show a tendency towards even greater carefulness as you are aware of your high unlike alcohol.

[Blue Shoes]

4. Its probably won't be a major issue for long.

Self driving cars will make the whole point moot.

[Warpy]

3. So much for all the DEA scare propaganda

As I've remarked before, stoners know they're impaired and will try to avoid driving. If they have to, they tend to drive WAY under the speed limit and on back roads as much as possible.

Add alcohol, all that changes and they're Superman and driving better than anybody else on the road.

Funny thing about legal pot, when people get stoned, they tend to stay in. Traffic deaths will invariably go down.

Drunks are gregarious and immortal. Add alcohol, the deaths go up.