For years, there have been debates about whether medical marijuana should be legalized in the United States. Colorado was one of the pioneers in the medical marijuana industry, and automobile accidents are lower than they have been in recent years.

Does Marijuana Improve a Person’s Driving Abilities?

Colorado was one of the first states in the country to legalize medical marijuana back in 2001. One of the biggest marijuana debates around the country is that marijuana is just as bad as alcohol, so people would be more likely to be involved in automobile accidents while they’re under the influence. According to a recent statistic, Colorado’s roadways have been safer since they have legalized the use of medical marijuana.

Testing for Marijuana

One of the groups associated with trying to keep marijuana use banned while a person is driving is Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM). They pointed out that the number of people in the state of Washington who drove under the influence of marijuana jumped up 30 percent, but the drivers weren’t necessarily involved in an automobile accident. The problem they found is that you can test for marijuana in a person’s system, but it’s difficult to see how inebriated the person is after they’ve used it.

Colorado Steps Up

In an effort to disprove the claims that marijuana is causing automobile accidents, an author in Colorado decided to do a study. The state of Colorado also felt the panic of the “drugged driver” issue after someone under the influence of marijuana crashed into highway patrol cars while under the influence. The author averaged driver fatalities each year between 2002 and 2015, and the results showed that fatalities are at an all-time low.

Staying Safe While Under the Influence

Although you may need medical cannabis dispensaries in Portland, it’s important to remember that you stay safe while operating any type of vehicle. Proposition 91 was recently passed in Oregon, which is a new effort to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. Oregonians can help support this bill by ensuring they stay safe on the roadways to avoid auto accidents and spikes in convictions based on marijuana usage, which can hurt the cause.