Max Dorfman, Analysis Author, Triple-I
Leisure marijuana use is related to vehicle crash traits, in line with a paper printed within the Journal of Research on Alcohol and Medication. Nonetheless, the examine additionally famous that retail marijuana gross sales aren’t solely accountable for the final rise in accidents.
Legalization of leisure marijuana use was correlated to a 6.5 p.c progress within the charge of crashes involving accidents and a 2.3 p.c rise in these involving fatalities. With legalization and retail gross sales, the examine discovered that the full influence was a 5.8 p.c rise in harm crash charges and a 4.1 p.c improve in deadly crash charges.
However these outcomes had been inconsistent throughout states, with the results on harm crash charges various from a 7 p.c lower to an 18 p.c rise and deadly crash charges starting from a 4 p.c improve to a ten p.c decline. Colorado skilled the most important rise in harm crash charges after legalization and retail gross sales, coming in at 17.8 p.c. Nevada skilled the biggest decline in deadly crashes, at 9.8 p.c.
“Legalization removes the stigma of marijuana use, whereas the onset of retail gross sales merely will increase entry,” mentioned lead researcher Charles M. Farmer of the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security. “However entry to marijuana isn’t tough, even in locations with out retail gross sales. Customers who beforehand prevented driving excessive could really feel that it’s okay after legalization.”
Farmer added, “Research on the lookout for a direct causal hyperlink between marijuana use and crash threat have been inconclusive.” In contrast to with alcohol, no goal measure but exists for the way impaired a marijuana consumer has grow to be.
As Triple-I notes, most research discover that marijuana use leads to impaired coordination, reminiscence, associative studying, consideration, cognitive flexibility, and response time. Though it’s clear from this analysis that driving potential is diminished, the extent of impairment continues to be studied.
Youthful drivers are at larger threat of site visitors accidents than older drivers, with youthful male drivers at excessive threat. Early proof signifies that youthful male drivers are more than likely to drive below the affect of marijuana.
One other examine, within the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, suggests power, heavy use of leisure marijuana impairs driving expertise, even when the motive force isn’t excessive, with those that began repeatedly utilizing marijuana earlier than 16 years outdated displaying the worst outcomes.
These outcomes display that the results of marijuana differ broadly throughout demographic teams, making it all of the extra essential for everybody to be cautious when utilizing the drug.