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4/20 stoner holiday a dangerous day on the roads, study shows

Driving under the influence of marijuana can be deadly, researchers warn

By David HeitzPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Image courtesy Pixabay

The medical establishment has determined 4/20 to be hazardous to motorists’ health.

And regardless of where you stand on pot consumption, the conclusion really isn’t surprising, is it?

In a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine, Canadian doctor John Staples delved into whether stoners celebrating the “High Holiday” known as 4/20 contribute to traffic fatalities.

“We examined a quarter-century of national data and found a 12 percent increase in the relative risk of a fatal traffic crash after 4:20 p.m. on April 20 compared with identical time intervals on control days,” he concluded. “Although the vast majority of Americans do not celebrate 4/20, the observed association was comparable in magnitude to the increase in traffic risks observed on Super Bowl Sunday.

“Policymakers may wish to consider these risks when liberalizing marijuana laws, paying particular attention to regulatory and enforcement strategies to curtail drugged driving.”

April 20 dangerous in New York, Texas, Georgia

The author noted that risks were particularly high on 4/20 for younger drivers. “Geographic analysis suggested the absolute risk increases were greatest in New York (excess of 36 fatalities), Texas (excess of 32), and Georgia (excess of 29).”

I’m not surprised by the findings. I’m a huge advocate of medical cannabis, and even support full-blown commercial legalization.

How did the researcher arrive at his conclusion? Pretty deliberatively. He used U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety data about traffic fatalities.

The study “includes data on all crashes involving a motor vehicle traveling on public roadways in which at least one participant died within 30 days of the event,” he wrote. “The study interval began the first full year after popularization of 4/20 in High Times magazine and extended to include the most recent year with data available, thereby reflecting 25 consecutive years (January 1992 to December 2016).”

Impaired driving is very real

Just this morning, I told my friend who drove me to the dispensary that a portion of the tax on cannabis, in states where recreational use is legal, must fund law enforcement. Specifically, it needs to fund enforcement of impaired driving.

I know this is tricky. How do you define “impaired?” And how do you measure for it?

I know I sold my Prius shortly after I got my medical cannabis card. Yes, I did wait for stop signs to turn green while stoned. Several times.

Many years ago, a colleague saw a story cross the AP wire about the future of cannabis. He read aloud how one day people would vape cannabis with stealth devices. He joked one could keep it in their desk and sneak a toke each day at 4:20.

My friends, that day has arrived.

Marijuana Research Report says impaired driving dangerous

The Marijuana Research Report assembled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse also warns of the dangers of impaired driving.

Marijuana significantly impairs judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time, and studies have found a direct relationship between blood THC concentration and impaired driving ability,” according to the report.

“Marijuana is the illicit drug most frequently found in the blood of drivers who have been involved in vehicle crashes, including fatal ones,” the researchers continue. “Two large European studies found that drivers with THC in their blood were roughly twice as likely to be culpable for a fatal crash than drivers who had not used drugs or alcohol.

“However, the role played by marijuana in crashes is often unclear because it can be detected in body fluids for days or even weeks after intoxication and because people frequently combine it with alcohol.

Driving stoned doubles chances of accident: Study

Some studies have shown that driving after smoking marijuana doubles your chances of an accident. Others showed it makes no difference.

“Several meta-analyses of multiple studies found that the risk of being involved in a crash significantly increased after marijuana use -- in a few cases, the risk doubled or more than doubled,” the authors reported.

“However, a large case-control study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no significant increased crash risk attributable to cannabis after controlling for drivers’ age, gender, race, and presence of alcohol.”

At some point a marijuana Breathalyzer will be invented.

Don't drive stoned.

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

David Heitz

I am a journalist with more than 30 years' experience. Here at Vocal, I write mainly for Potent, Vocal's cannabis magazine. I have a PTSD diagnosis and a medical cannabis card. I have lived in a penthouse and also experienced homelessness.

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