A few years ago, California voted on whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana -- and the measure failed in a close vote. One of the most effective campaigns against legalization in that state was the claim that drivers who had used marijuana would pose a significant risk on the roads and highways -- a risk similar to that of alcohol users.
It was a lie. As I have posted before, several studies have shown that marijuana users don't pose anymore danger than those who have used no drug (including alcohol) at all. Those studies were all done in Canada, Australia, and Europe, because the U.S. government didn't want any studies done that would expose their decades of lies about marijuana.
But with four states already legalizing the gentle herb, and a growing number of Americans who believe it should be legalized, a study has finally been done in the United States -- a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation). And it comes as no surprise to me that the study verifies what those other studies have shown -- that drivers using marijuana pose no safety risk of causing crashes on our roads.
The results of their study are shown in the chart above. Note that even small amounts of alcohol usage will heighten the danger of a crash with alcohol. Even legal amounts can drive the rich up. The base for the study is 1.00 (the risk posed by non-users of any drug). A person with a .03 blood alcohol content has slightly elevated risk of 1.17, while a person with .05 (within the legal limit) has a risk of 2.05 (double the risk of non-users), and the risk continues to rise as the amount of alcohol used rises.
It's far different for marijuana though. The study showed those users posed no more danger that non-users. I'm sure those opposing the legalizing of marijuana will continue their false claim to scare voters (because too many are making too much money off keeping it illegal). But remember, they are LYING.
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