Drivers are less likely to get behind the wheel in states with legal weed

A new study concluded that self-reported driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) was lower in states that have legalized recreational marijuana than in states where weed was illegal.

That to learnpublished in the Journal of Preventative Medicine Reports, also found that those who frequently used cannabis in legal recreational states had a significantly lower risk of self-reported DUIC within three hours of use than those who lived in states where cannabis was allowed is not legal.

The main exception came in states where cannabis was legal for medical purposes, where the results showed that there was little difference between states with medically legal weed and those where weed is entirely illegal.

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The study, which surveyed a wide range of cannabis users, provided several possible reasons for this trend, including the fact that in states where recreational cannabis is legal, those who buy it are likely to have more information about the risks and responsibilities of cannabis use. while those who buy it off the street are not.

Packaging and labeling must also be taken into account. “States that have not legalized cannabis cannot regulate the labeling of cannabis products, while many recreational and medical states require warning labels and directions on products,” the study authors wrote.

These results are in direct contrast to other studies often consulted by those opposed to marijuana legalization, such as a report by the US Department of Transportation, which found that marijuana presence in fatally injured drivers doubled between 2007 and 2016.

While numbers don’t lie, they can be misleading. As more states legalize marijuana, there is much broader access to it; Millions of people have the legal right to consume it. While the National Council of State Legislators cited the U.S. Department of Transportation’s report, so did it specified that “drugs like marijuana can also stay in the system for weeks and thus show up in road tests without causing more impairments.”

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The length of time marijuana stays in your system is one of the biggest hurdles and contentions with these types of allegations and criminal charges. As we did before reported, DUID cases related to marijuana are often thrown out of court in constitutional states simply because impairment cannot be proven. However, this does not mean that marijuana-induced traffic violations do not occur and cannot be prosecuted.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project“Thirty-three states have “effects-based” driving under the influence of marijuana laws that criminalize a person for driving while truly impaired, as determined based on all available evidence.” There are 17 states with “per se” or “zero tolerance laws” where to prove the case, one simply has to provide blood tests proving a certain level of THC is present in your system.

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Regardless of whether you live in a state where weed is legal or illegal, safe driving is always important. While some states have enacted strict zero-tolerance laws to combat marijuana-impaired driving, this recent study found that education, not stricter laws, may be needed.

In its conclusion, the study noted that “although all states should educate their 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.”