Marijuana: Road Safety

Marijuana: Road Safety

Legalizing marijuana will normalize its use. Normalizing drug use will make our roads less safe. 

In America, every 52 minutes a person dies in an alcohol-related collision. When a driver has a blood alcohol level (BAC) of .08, they have a nearly 4 times greater crash risk. Many people falsely believe that driving after using marijuana is less impairing than after drinking alcohol. In Colorado, in the years following legalization for adult use, the rate of fatal marijuana-related collisions increased by nearly 50 percent and remains elevated. Washington state also experienced increases in their rates of fatal marijuana-related collisions. 

Minnesota must learn the lessons from other states that have gone down the path of legalization.

Survey on marijuana use while driving in Virginia ‘troubling’ – Virginia Cannabis Control Authority

“A new survey reveals some Virginians are downplaying the dangers of using cannabis behind the wheel, according to the state agency overseeing recreational marijuana legalization.”

Cannabis Legalization and Detection of THC in Injured Drivers – New England Journal of Medicine

“After cannabis legalization, the prevalence of moderately injured drivers with a THC level of at least 2 ng per milliliter in participating British Columbia trauma centers more than doubled.”