Newly published research indicates that recreational cannabis legalization in Washington did not result in a spike in impaired driving among younger demographics.
The research, published last month in the journal Prevention Science, was based on data collected in the five years following legalization.
“Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for young adults (YA) in the USA, and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA), cannabis (DUIC), and simultaneous use of both substances (DUIAC) are prominent risk factors,” the authors explained in the study’s abstract.
“Trends in YA impaired driving behaviors after opening of cannabis retail stores have been understudied. We examined YA trends in DUIA, DUIC, and DUIAC from immediately prior through 5 years following the opening of cannabis retail outlets in Washington State (2014–2019).”
They noted that differences “in trends were assessed across age, sex, and urbanicity,” and that “weighted logistic regressions assessed yearly change in prevalence of DUIA, DUIC, and DUIAC from 2014 to 2019, using annual statewide data from the Washington Young Adult Health Survey (n = 12,963; ages 18–25).”
“Moderation of trends by age, sex, and urbanicity was assessed. Prevalence of DUIA decreased overall (AOR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.90, 0.97) and among drinkers (AOR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.91, 0.99) but remained at concerning levels in 2019 (10% overall; 16% among drinkers),” they said.
Ultimately, the researchers found that driving under the influence of cannabis “did not change significantly…but decreased among those who used cannabis.”
Driving under the influence of alcohol and cannabis simultaneously “decreased but not significantly,” according to the researchers, who said that the “prevalence of [young adult] DUI remained concerning.”
As NORML pointed out, the findings have echoes of a 2022 study that found that the “risk of self-reported [driving under the influence of cannabis] was lower in recreational and medical cannabis states compared to states without legal cannabis.”
The authors of that study, published in Preventive Medicine …
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Author: Thomas Edward / High Times
