Marijuana is being legalized and decriminalized – both for medical and recreational use – more and more at state and municipal levels throughout the United States, and concerns about driving under the influence of marijuana are also being explored, and justifiably so. While the risks of effects of drunk driving are quite literally common knowledge, those of “high driving” is not nearly as well observed, studied, or documented, and remain prone to a variety of misconceptions.
While many such studies are as recent as the actual changes in marijuana laws, some do date back ten years or more. A peer-reviewed article in the British Medical Journal highlighted a study of 10,748 drivers – 6,766 at-fault, 3,982 not-at-fault – “with known alcohol and drug concentrations who died in auto accidents in France between 2001 and 2003.” Of all accidents, 29% were attributable to alcohol while 2.5% were attributable to marijuana, and the study’s authors concluded: “Driving under the influence of cannabis increases the risk of involvement in a crash. However, in France, its share in fatal crashes is significantly lower than that associated with positive blood alcohol concentrations.”
The problem, though not new, is certainly more widespread as marijuana is now legal for medical use in 23 states and recreational use in four states; Washington D.C. is also part of both categories. And while some studies have associated “high driving” with seemingly ironic effects such as being overly cautious and driving at slower speeds, it can also be correlated with increased risks of an accident simply due to, just as with alcohol, intoxicated driving. There is much more scientific research to be done on driving under the influence of marijuana, as very little has been permitted within the country until recent years, and we must continue to discourage intoxicated driving in all its forms as we come to understand this substance’s effects on judgment, reaction time, and all other important facets of being a responsible driver on the road.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving an intoxicated driver, contact 844 See Mike for a free consultation. We are a Chicago-based injury law firm representing individuals (and their families) who have suffered an injury in an accident. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you. Lastly, 844 See Mike is not paid attorneys’ fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. You have nothing to risk when you hire us – only the opportunity to seek justice.