Study Finds Medical Marijuana States Have Fewer Traffic Fatalities

A new study released shows that in states where medical marijuana is legal there are fewer traffic fatalities. This is especially the case among younger drivers. Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health conducted the study with Silvia Martins as senior author.

The study showed an 11% reduction in traffic-related deaths in medical marijuana states, according to The Washington Post. The study’s results suggest that there are lower numbers of alcohol-impaired drivers on the roads where medical marijuana is legal.

The biggest age spread of reduced traffic-related deaths was those from ages 15 – 44.

Martins said, “We found evidence that states with the marijuana laws in place compared with those which did not, reported, on average, lower rates of drivers endorsing driving after having too many drinks.”

The results were not the same in every medical marijuana state; California and New Mexico saw only a brief decline in traffic-related deaths. The data collected for the study was from 1985 through 2014. Several factors, including state traffic laws, were taken into consideration for the purposes of this study.