Tag: Marijuana Legalization

Study Confirms Alcohol Is 10x Deadlier Than Cannabis On The Road

(NaturalBlaze by Vic Bishop) An examination of over 3600 cases concludes that alcohol is ten times deadlier on the road than cannabis, a fact which is just now being confirmed as a result of legalization. Opponents of legalization have long argued that it legal cannabis would be a significant danger on the roads, but as can again confirm, it is indeed much safer than alcohol, a drug which has killed hundreds of thousands of people on America’s roads alone.

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The study was conducted in France, and focused on data from all fatal accidents that occurred in France in 2011.

They estimated the heightened risk of driving under the influence of various substances and found that “drivers under the influence of alcohol are 17.8 times more likely to be responsible for a fatal accident,” when compared to completely sober drivers. Drivers under the influence of cannabis, by contrast, are 1.65 times more likely to be responsible for causing a fatal accident. [Source]

The results of this study are highly relevant to the debate over cannabis legalization, and continue to affirm the arguments made by advocates of legalization.

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Those findings are in line with most recent studies of alcohol and cannabis and driving risk. Earlier this year David Bienenstock investigated the science behind drugged driving estimates, and found that THC-positive drivers have a 5% greater crash risk than drivers with no drugs or alcohol in their system. That figure came from the largest domestic case-control study to date, which was published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency. That same study found that drivers with a blood alcohol level of .08, the legal limit in most states, were 293% more likely to be involved in a crash. Texting drivers were 310% more likely to crash. [Source]

In 2015, a then first of its kind study demonstrated that cannabis had little to no significant effect on driving, and included the following four important findings:

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  1. Drivers under the influence of only cannabis showed little driving impairment when compared to drivers under the influence of alcohol or both substances.
  2. Drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the active ingredient in cannabis) showed similar impairment to drivers with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most states. The current legal limit for THC in Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L.
  3. Drivers who use alcohol and cannabis together weave more on a virtual roadway than ones that used either substance independently, although consuming both does not double the impairment.
  4. Analyzing a driver’s oral fluids can detect recent use of cannabis although it should not be considered a reliable measure of impairment.

Alcohol, however, is widely known for being highly dangerous on the road:

Alcohol is the most common drug present in the system in roadside stops by police; cannabis is the next most common, and cannabis is often paired with alcohol below the legal limits.

We know alcohol is an issue, but is cannabis an issue or is cannabis an issue when paired with alcohol? We tried to find out. ~ Tim Brown, associate research scientist at NADS and co-author of the study. [Source]

Final Thoughts

While this evidence should not be taken as a sign that cannabis-related automotive deaths are insignificant, this research does add weight to the argument that cannabis is far safer than alcohol, in many different ways. This is to support the notion that legalization would have far more positive effects on society than continuing to perpetuate the often terrifying criminalization of this natural plant, over-burdening the justice and prison system.

Read more articles by Vic Bishop.

Vic Bishop is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and OffgridOutpost.com Survival Tips blog. He is an observer of people, animals, nature, and he loves to ponder the connection and relationship between them all. A believer in always striving to becoming self-sufficient and free from the matrix, please track him down on Facebook.

This article (Study Confirms that Alcohol is Ten Times Deadlier than Cannabis On the Road) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Vic Bishop and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement. Please contact WakingTimes@gmail.com for more info.

Legalized Marijuana States See Reduced Traffic Fatalities

One of the first arguments against legalizing marijuana was the concern of motorists driving under the influence. Since marijuana stays in the system so long, there is no simple test like a breathalyzer to catch a driver who is high.

Those familiar with the effects were quick to point out that marijuana users are far less impaired than those under the influence of alcohol, but the naysayers were not convinced. Perhaps the news reported by Reuters will change their minds. It seems the traffic death tolls have fallen in the states that have legalized marijuana.

Two studies have ben completed. The previous study, published in 2013, showed traffic fatalities dropped 8-11% in the first full year after legalization. (This study included 19 states). The latest study shows an 11% drop in average after analyzing data from 1985 through 2014 from 28 states.

They are quick to remind us that correlation does not confirm cause and effect. There could be many explanations. They suggest the possibility that marijuana users are more aware of being impaired (when they are) and might choose not to drive. Perhaps they stay home and get high rather than going to the bars. Maybe the police presence has increased. The point is, they don’t know why. All they know is that the data shows legalizing marijuana for medical use has benefitted the public rather than harming it as many feared it would.

This study does contradict some earlier reports such as a 2014 news release from Colorado stating a 100% increase over 5 years in “marijuana-related traffic deaths”. This claim is derived from comparing 39 traffic deaths in 2007 to 78 traffic deaths in 2012. They claim the drivers tested positive for marijuana. But again, if someone smokes or ingests marijuana it can take up to 40 days to clear the system. So calling these deaths marijuana-related was questionable and obvious fear mongering, especially when the overall traffic death rate fell 14.8% during that period.

Further studies will have to be conducted to determine exactly why the data shows a decrease in fatalities and whether the trend will continue as some states are beginning to show a small rise occurring as time goes by. It will also be interesting to see the results of recreation legalization.

But in the meantime, one can’t help but wonder if at least some of the change is due to a decrease in road rage. Is it possible that marijuana use is mellowing out American drivers?  If an attitude of “don’t worry, be happy” keeps us safe on the road, who’s to say that’s a bad thing?

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Does Hillary Clinton Oppose Marijuana Legalization?

Leaked emails show that Hillary Clinton spoke out against legalizing marijuana in a paid speech that was given more than two years ago, and in March 2014, in an email to Ursula Burns, Xerox’s chairman and CEO, Clinton used Wall Street terminology to express her opposition to ending cannabis prohibition.

BURNS: So long means thumbs up, short means thumbs down; or long means I support, short means I don’t. I’m going to start with — I’m going to give you about ten long-shorts.

CLINTON: Even if you could make money on a short, you can’t answer short.

BURNS: You can answer short, but you got to be careful about letting anybody else know that. They will bet against you. So legalization of pot?

CLINTON: Short in all senses of the word.

Other excerpts from the 80-page document published by Wikileaks (hacked from Podesta’s email account), show Clinton admitting that she is “far removed” from the typical struggles of the middle class. She says that politicians should have separate positions on issues in public and in private, a stance her critics have long suspected.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who supports legalization and has introduced legislation to end federal marijuana prohibition, seems to have shifted Hillary’s public position. Clinton has pledged to reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act if elected, and many doubt this would have happened if it weren’t for Senator Sanders.

While Clinton has made no secret that she’s not ready to endorse full marijuana legalization, she now seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach, watching the results of new legislation in states like Colorado and Washington before she makes up her mind.

These remarks were made two-and-a-half years ago, just two months after legal marijuana sales began in Colorado, so it is not unlikely that Clinton’s personal view of legalization has evolved.

The leaked emails showing such strong opposition, and recent comments from the candidate’s daughter, Chelsea, last month, have cannabis advocates and much of the public concerned.

Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Jill Stein of the Green Party both support ending cannabis prohibition.

To see what else Hillary Clinton has said about cannabis law reform, check out Marijuana.com’s comprehensive guide to the candidates.

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