|
The Raw Story: Study: Legalizing medical marijuana reduces traffic fatalities |
|
Written by Stephen C. Webster
|
|
Tuesday, 29 November 2011 |
|
States that have passed initiatives to legalize
medical marijuana have also seen a decline in traffic fatalities,
according to a new study out this week by the Institute for the Study of Labor... But far from marijuana acting as a “gateway” to more dangerous drugs, as
authorities often claim, researchers found that it’s more commonly used
as a substitute for alcohol, which is often more harmful and
inebriating than marijuana... A further analysis of data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System,
spanning from 1990 to 2009, revealed that states which legalized medical
marijuana saw a decline in alcohol consumption. A decline in traffic
fatalities was a direct side effect of that... “Every objective study on marijuana has concluded that it is far safer
than alcohol for the user and society,” explained Mason Tvert, director
of SAFER,
a group which advocates for legalization in Colorado. “It should come
as little surprise that when we allow adults to make the safer choice to
use marijuana it results in less drinking and fewer alcohol-related
problems..." Read the entire story at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/29/study-legalizing-medical-marijuana-reduces-traffic-fatalities/
|
