Marijuana and Driving - Politicos dig in

First off, I don't smoke but think MJ being illegal is stupid. That being said, check out how the politicos are using skewed results to argue their point. Infuriating.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — New York teenager Joseph Beer smoked marijuana, climbed into a Subaru Impreza with four friends and drove more than 100 mph before losing control. The car crashed into trees with such force that the vehicle split in half, killing his friends.

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Scary right? They had to reach back to 2012 for this example. Meanwhile, drunk drivers killed people across the US this holiday weekend.

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Studies of marijuana’s effects show that the drug can slow decision-making, decrease peripheral vision and impede multitasking, all of which are important driving skills. But unlike with alcohol, drivers high on pot tend to be aware that they are impaired and try to compensate by driving slowly, avoiding risky actions such as passing other cars, and allowing extra room between vehicles.

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Interesting finding.

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A roadside survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2007 found 8.6 percent of drivers tested positive for THC, but it’s not possible to say how many were high at the time because drivers only were tested for the presence of drugs, not the amount.

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This data comes from those stops where they offer to pay you for your blood. Discussed on this board before, I knew this project would start popping up as skewed data.

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Columbia University researchers compared drivers who tested positive for marijuana in the roadside survey with state drug and alcohol tests of drivers killed in crashes. They found that marijuana alone increased the likelihood of being involved in a fatal crash by 80 percent. But because the study included states where not all drivers are tested for alcohol and drugs, most drivers in fatal crashes were excluded, possibly skewing the results. Also, the use of urine tests rather than blood tests in some cases may overestimate marijuana use and impairment. A Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation study used the roadside survey and data from nine states that test more than 80 percent of drivers killed in crashes. When adjusted for alcohol and driver demographics, the study found that otherwise sober drivers who tested positive for marijuana were slightly less likely to have been involved in a crash than drivers who tested negative for all drugs.

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A huge misrepresentation of the data by Columbia. Look up who funded that "study" and consider.

Lots of other interesting data and comments in the article. Basically, they don't know anything either way but that doesn't stop those with an interest one way or the other from using skewed data to make their points.

LINK to entire article