America’s experiment with legalizing pot yields a surprise—and a puzzle.
Boston Globe.com | Chris Berdik | August 11, 2013
As marijuana laws start to change for the better, there are those who complain about various possible problems with marijuana, as if we don't already tolerate vastly bigger concerns with alcohol already. (As always - just overlook the hundreds of thousands of deaths related to tobacco-related illness each year.)
One main fear is that somehow marijuana smokers will become the 'new menace" on the roads, as if people who smoke haven't already been such a problem, and as if marijuana is somehow the same as alcohol.
Amid the heated debate, a small amount of hard data is starting to emerge. And among the most intriguing findings is a recent study suggesting that Massachusetts could enjoy an unexpected boon from last November’s vote to legalize medical marijuana: fewer deaths on our roads and highways.
A team of economists who specialize in health and risk behaviors looked at the link between marijuana laws and traffic deaths, and found that roadway fatalities dropped significantly in states after they legalized medical marijuana. On average, deaths dropped 8 to 11 percent in the first full year after the law went into effect, and fell 10 to 13 percent by year four. Five years out, the results grew more varied, and faded in some cases.
This is a nicely-done article and, as always, fair use forbids excerpting more than a taste of it so go to the link and read it. It's not terribly long.
A couple more excerpts to show 2 reasons "why" the 'counter-intuitive' results are being seen. I say "counter-intuitive' because after 80 years of lying and full-on propaganda demonzing marijuana the research is showing things contrary to what most people have stuck in their noggins, passing for "knowledge":
The researchers offer two possible explanations for why more marijuana use could lead to less drunken driving. One is that pot smoking takes place in different circumstances than drinking. Drinking is legal, and drinks are served in many places that can only be reached by car. People drink at bars, restaurants, ball games, picnics, concerts, and just about any adult social gathering; then they drive home. Because recreational marijuana is still illegal in all but two states, it’s used in a much less open range of environments. In other words, people go out and drink, but stoners tend to stay home. (This is one factor that may start to change if legalization takes hold: In early 2013, the first “pot bars” opened in Colorado and Washington.)
The other possible explanation is straightforward, if definitely not something you’re likely to hear from your local chapter of DARE: It could be that pot availability leads to drunk drivers being replaced with stoned drivers, and that stoned drivers are, on average, safer. In fact, while studies indicate that pot is just as bad as alcohol for distance perception, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination, it appears to be less of a danger in simulated and real-world driving tests. Driving high is by no means safe: A meta-analysis by the British Medical Journal early in 2012 found that drivers who were high on marijuana had nearly double the risk of a serious crash compared to sober counterparts. But driving drunk is worse, causing a tenfold increase in accident risk for drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.08, or a forty-eightfold increase at the old legal limit of 0.1. The researchers also point out that drivers under the influence of marijuana may “engage in compensatory behaviors” such as driving slowly, avoiding sudden, risky maneuvers, and staying well behind the car in front of them. Perhaps they are just more cautious than a drunk person would be, even though they are still impaired.
Big Alcohol -
related story - may be so opposed to marijuana legalization because, simply, marijuana is superior to alcohol all the way around.
Many people cannot smoke marijuana because of random drug testing at work,or, as I describe below, have to stay clean and pure for pre-employment urine tests. These people are driven to alcohol if they want to unwind.
It certainly happens to me: I despise alcohol, with a passion. But currently I am laid off from work and have had to stop smoking pot so I can purify my bodily essences. It is a fundamental fact that clean, pure urine is MORE IMPORTANT for getting a job than all of my education (Master's degree) license (professional counseling) and experience (30 years). I have to have the education and experience to get the job interviews (I recently had a follow-up interview for a clinical director position with a small private agency) but I will have to pee in a cup on command and have good clean, pure urine to get the job if it is offered to me.
It happens to millions of Americans and leads directly to alcohol sales. I sip a tiny bit of alcohol late at night to unwind just a little. I don't get "drunk" by a long shot - just a couple sips of some cheap, crappy pre-made margarita, which frequently gives me a headache anyway. Unemployment sucks badly and I try to make the best of it unwinding and watching a movie.
Once I get through the drug-testing phase, I have learned to make sure there is not a random-testing policy before I return to enjoying marijuana. I am terrified to ask about this prior to getting a job, not wanting to raise any suspicions. This time around I will continue to not smoke for a few weeks just in case the job actually sucks. My job hunt has finally been resulting in interviews and I expect those to continue after I get the next job from which I will eventually get laid off. Damned economy.
Long story short, marijuana prohibition DOES drive people to purchased and consume alcohol when they generally might not do so otherwise.
Off-topic, but related in the quest to 'save lives" - we know that increased availability of legal marijuana decreases suicide rates
Authors found, “The total suicide rate falls smoothly during the pre-legalization period in both MML (medical marijuana law) and non-MML states. However, beginning in year zero, the trends diverge: the suicide rate in MML states continues to fall, while the suicide rate in states that never legalized medical marijuana begins to climb gradually.”
So, the coming legalization of marijuana may actually reduce drunk driving incidents by letting people enjoy a less intoxicating "drug" than alcohol, possibly put a dent in suicide statistics, and generally contribute to efforts to save lives across the board.