States with Legal Marijuana See Rise in Car Crashes

In states where recreational marijuana use is legal – Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington – car crashes rose six percent, according to research from two studies.

Research from the Highway Loss Data Institute focused on collision claims between 2012 and October 2017 in states where recreational marijuana and compared them to states where marijuana is still illegal (Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming). In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, researchers looked at police-reported crashes before and after retail marijuana sales.

“States exploring legalizing marijuana should consider this effect on highway safety,” David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute, said in a statement.