The legalization of cannabis in the United States appears to have a link to an increase of 22 percent in fatal road crashes in certain states, according to a startling study. Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health investigated seven states that permit recreational cannabis dispensaries. Their findings revealed that fatal road accidents had escalated dramatically in four of these states.
On average, fatal crashes have seen a rise of 10 percent. The researchers employed data from death certificates to contrast mortality rates in states where recreational cannabis dispensaries were legalized with states where only medical cannabis was accessible. The collected data, spanning from 2009 to 2019, centered on deaths in three categories previously associated with cannabis use but still poorly understood: motor vehicle accidents, suicide, and opioid overdose.