 A study that was just released finds that drivers in states where cannabis has been legalized are less likely to drive while high, compared to states that still have it illegal.
The study results were released online this week and will be published in Preventive Medicine Reports in June. The researchers took at look at the behaviors of 1,249 cannabis users, in relation to their driving after consumption. They broke the group into two sections, and looked at those who used cannabis less than 20 times in a month, and separately at those who used cannabis more than 20 times a month. In the group that used cannabis less than 20 times a month, they found that cannabis users who lived in states with legalized recreational cannabis, as well as the states that had medical only cannabis, were significantly less likely to have driven within three hours of consuming cannabis, compared to those who lived in states that had no legalized cannabis. In the group that consumed cannabis more than 20 times a month, they found no significant difference between the legalization status. The researchers said, “Our findings suggest that driving under the influence of cannabis prevention is most needed in states without legalized cannabis. Because regulation of cannabis products in non-legal environments is not possible, mass media campaigns may be a good option for providing education about driving under the influence of cannabis prevention.” The researchers also said, “Although all states should educate its citizens about the potential dangers of using cannabis and driving, this analysis suggests that states without legal cannabis are particularly in need of [DUIC] prevention efforts.” They also suggested that states should consider mass media campaigns as a method of reaching all cannabis users. NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano commented on the results of this study, saying, “These findings ought to reassure those who feared that legalization might inadvertently be associated with relaxed attitudes toward driving under the influence. These conclusions show that this has not been the case and that, in fact, consumers residing in legal marijuana states are less likely to engage in this behavior than are those residing in states where cannabis possession remains criminalized.” Comments are closed.
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