This study provides excellent overview of historic research conducted into highway safety, alcohol / drug impairment and traffic risks previous to this report. Because legalized marijuana sales in the commercial adult use markets and data on associated consequences are still emerging, the researches cite the ongoing need to monitor data and trends to gain a better understanding of this issue.    

Read time: 10 minutes

Photo source: unsplash.com

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The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) just released their fact sheet on “Drugged Driving” (August 2021). The publication looks at findings from recent research into the issues associated to impaired driving from substances other than just alcohol. Given the current interest into the legalization of other drugs, beyond marijuana, the ramifications to highway / public safety have to be addressed and understood. Regardless of any personal position on legalization, we have to acknowledge that these choices have a broader potential impact to Americans as a whole. Following science and supporting research will help bridge those information gaps. 

Also available from LAPPA is their 2021 summary of the laws, by individual states, in America. Included with this summary is a list of resources to obtain additional information on “drugged driving”. 

Read Time: 5 – 10 minutes

Photo: Pixabay / Queven 

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Dr. David Murray, a Senior Fellow with the Hudson Institute, a “think tank” based in Washington D.C. released a policy memo titled, “The “Colorado Experiment”: Legalized Marijuana’s Impact in Colorado”. This brief, yet informative read, offers insights into what has been called the “Colorado Experiment” referring to the legalization of marijuana in the state for both medical and commercial adult use.  Dr. Murray looks at issues that were brought up during the campaign as proposed benefits to legalization (e.g. elimination of the “black market”, highway safety, social justice issues and more) and cites data that shows the adverse impact that marijuana is actually having in Colorado. 

Scope note: The reader can access the research cited in this document by looking for key topic words that are highlight in bold font; these have been hyperlinked to the original source. Simply place your cursor over the highlighted word and provide a click of your mouse.

Read Time: 5-10 minutes

Photo: Unsplash.com / “Jeff W.” 

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 “Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol” (Rosenthal & Reed) released in November 2020, is the third in the series of that report that allows for a multi-year look at the issue. It offers insight as to the growing prevalence marijuana has as related to highway safety matters and driving under the influence (DUI) under Colorado law. 

Key findings in this report include:

• Total arrests for DUI in Colorado, from 2016 – 2018, declined by 3.6%
• During the same time, positive drugs test results for marijuana in DUI cases increased by 15.5%
• Alcohol and marijuana were the most common substances detected in DUI investigations
• Nearly 50% of all screened DUI tests for marijuana exceeded the legal permissible inference limit of 5 nanograms
• Crash rates were highest among drivers that tested positive for both alcohol and marijuana

Read Time: 30 – 60 minutes

Image: Unsplash / H. Busing

The post Impaired Driving in Colorado: 2016 – 2018 (Nov 2020) appeared first on Marijuana Impact Group.