Medical marijuana laws, traffic fatalities, and alcohol consumption
Anderson, D. Mark
Medical marijuana laws, traffic fatalities, and alcohol consumption created by D. Mark Anderson, Benjamin Hansen and Daniel I. Rees - Journal of Law and Economics Volume 56, number 2 .
To date, 19 states have passed medical marijuana laws, yet very little is known about their effects. The current study examines the relationship between the legalization of medical marijuana and traffic fatalities, the leading cause of death among Americans ages 5-34. The first full year after coming into effect, legalization is associated with an 8-11 percent decrease in traffic fatalities. The impact of legalization on traffic fatalities involving alcohol is larger and estimated with more precision than its impact on traffic fatalities that do not involve alcohol. Legalization is also associated with sharp decreases in the price of marijuana and alcohol consumption, which suggests that marijuana and alcohol are substitutes. Because alternative mechanisms cannot be ruled out, the negative relationship between legalization and alcohol-related traffic fatalities does not necessarily imply that driving under the influence of marijuana is safer than driving under the influence of alcohol
00222186
Administrative law--Alcohols--Alcohol drinking
Death--Medical marijuana--Marijuana
Statistical significance--Traffic estimation--Tax law
HB73 JOU
Medical marijuana laws, traffic fatalities, and alcohol consumption created by D. Mark Anderson, Benjamin Hansen and Daniel I. Rees - Journal of Law and Economics Volume 56, number 2 .
To date, 19 states have passed medical marijuana laws, yet very little is known about their effects. The current study examines the relationship between the legalization of medical marijuana and traffic fatalities, the leading cause of death among Americans ages 5-34. The first full year after coming into effect, legalization is associated with an 8-11 percent decrease in traffic fatalities. The impact of legalization on traffic fatalities involving alcohol is larger and estimated with more precision than its impact on traffic fatalities that do not involve alcohol. Legalization is also associated with sharp decreases in the price of marijuana and alcohol consumption, which suggests that marijuana and alcohol are substitutes. Because alternative mechanisms cannot be ruled out, the negative relationship between legalization and alcohol-related traffic fatalities does not necessarily imply that driving under the influence of marijuana is safer than driving under the influence of alcohol
00222186
Administrative law--Alcohols--Alcohol drinking
Death--Medical marijuana--Marijuana
Statistical significance--Traffic estimation--Tax law
HB73 JOU