Legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes isn’t associated with an uptick in traffic fatalities, according to a new study released this month.
Kansas State University graduate student Andrew Young looked at data on average traffic fatalities over 23 years and used two models to assess the impact of cannabis reform on road safety.
“[L]egalizing marijuana is not found to be a statistically significant predictor of fatality rates,” he concluded. “This finding means that the legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes is not associated with either a reduction or increase in fatalities per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled.”
After conducting a regression analysis that turned up no evidence that state legalization efforts result in an increase or decrease in traffic fatalities, Young used a difference-in-difference model to compare the traffic fatality rates in legal cannabis states and control states. The more tailored analysis covered an eight-year timeline, starting five years before the state in question legalized marijuana.
No concrete trends emerged from that analysis.
In Arizona, where medical cannabis is legal, average traffic fatalities mirrored those of Wyoming and South Dakota, where marijuana is prohibited.