Here’s yet another downside of legalizing recreational marijuana: more auto accidents. A new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute said that crashes in Colorado, Nevada and Oregon – all states with legalized marijuana – were up more than five percent.
A second study by the same group estimated that states with legal recreational cannabis had six percent more insurance collision claims than other states.
This isn’t the first time that researchers looked into the link between traffic accidents and marijuana legalization. In fact, one study found an increase in car crashes on April 20, known as 420 Day or “National Weed Day.”
According to the Denver Post, the number of cannabis-related highway fatalities in Colorado has doubled since recreational marijuana became legal in 2014.
Drugged Driving: What You Need to KnowAccording to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 11.8 million drove under the influence illicit drugs in the past year. And believe it or not, less than 30 percent of Americans think driving while impaired by marijuana is a serious problem. What's worse, some people falsely believe that pot makes them a safer driver.
This is simply not true. Just like getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, driving after using marijuana can put drivers, passengers and others who share the road at risk for injury and death. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana can slow reaction time, impair judgement of time and distance and decrease coordination. Marijuana has also been linked with an increase in lane weaving and the use of alcohol with marijuana makes drivers more impaired - even if blood concentration of THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) and of alcohol are below the "impairment thresholds" for each substance alone.
Rehab for Marijuana AddictionIf you or someone you love is abusing or addicted to marijuana, we can help. Depending on your individual needs, and whether you are abusing other drugs in addition to pot, treatment for marijuana can occur over a period of three to 12 months and include detoxification. To learn more about our addiction treatment for marijuana, call today: 303-558-6400.
