June 23, 2017 – Family Council

Study Finds Link Between Recreational Marijuana and Car Crashes

Jun 23, 2017Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) has found car crashes increase in states where recreational marijuana is legal.

HLDI writes,

Legalizing recreational marijuana use in Colorado, Oregon and Washington has resulted in collision claim frequencies that are about 3 percent higher overall than would have been expected without legalization . . . .

After comparing collision reports from various states, HLDI concluded collisions claims were 14% higher in Colorado than in neighboring states following the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2012; Washington came in 6% above its neighbors, and Oregon’s collision reports were 4% higher than its neighbors.

IIHS concludes,

“Worry that legalized marijuana is increasing crash rates isn’t misplaced,” says David Zuby, executive vice president and chief research officer of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “HLDI’s findings on the early experience of Colorado, Oregon and Washington should give other states eyeing legalization pause.”

All of this underscores what we continue to say: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Legislature Begins Looking at Two Key Bills During the Interim

This week the Arkansas Legislature moved forward with plans to look at two key pieces of legislation between now and 2019.

The first is S.B. 583 by Senator Joyce Elliott. The legislature will study the feasibility of requiring 25% of lottery proceeds to fund scholarships; reinstating the 2.5 GPA requirement to be eligible for scholarships; and having independent consultants for the Arkansas Lottery.

The second is S.B. 774, the privacy bill by Senator Linda Collins-Smith. This bill would have required a person using a public shower, locker room, restroom, or similar facility on government property to use the facility that corresponds to the biological sex listed on his or her original birth certificate. The legislature will study this issue in the months to come.

Lawmakers cannot pass these bills during the interim study period, but can research these issues, collect testimony, and present recommendations when the Arkansas Legislature reconvenes as a whole.

We are glad lawmakers have agreed to look at these two issues during the interim. The next step is to schedule meetings where experts, members of the public, and others can testify at the Capitol.