Trends in fatal motor vehicle crashes before and after marijuana commercialization in Colorado.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Legal medical marijuana has been commercially available on a widespread basis in Colorado since mid-2009; however, there is a dearth of information about the impact of marijuana commercialization on impaired driving. This study examined if the proportions of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash who were marijuana-positive and alcohol-impaired, respectively, have changed in Colorado before and after mid-2009 and then compared changes in Colorado with 34 non-medical marijuana states (NMMS).

Methods

Thirty-six 6-month intervals (1994-2011) from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System were used to examine temporal changes in the proportions of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash who were alcohol-impaired (≥0.08 g/dl) and marijuana-positive, respectively. The pre-c

SUBMITTER: Salomonsen-Sautel S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4068732 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature