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[LyleLanley]

Seems like they care more about having to pay more accident bills than improving a broken crime system.

 

[Brakke]

The Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: How Likely is the Worst-Case Scenario?


It seems intuitive that legalizing marijuana would increase accidents as there would be another vector for people to drive impaired. But what actually seems to happen is a substitution effect--once marijuana is legal, some people substitute its use for drinking, and since driving while high is less likely to get you into accidents/kill you or others than driving drunk (though still not recommended or anything), this actually reduces accidents.

In short, your insurance company is wrong. Legalized marijuana should actually make the roads safer.

Edit: Here's another study showing the same, though only the abstract is publicly available:

It's real hard to hang your hat on these stats collected before marijuana was regulated though. Regulating marijuana could very well change the characteristics of the pool of marijuana users.

 

[Dusk Soldier]

The thought of going anywhere while high never occurred to me, so I can honestly say I don't have any insight on "stoned driving".

That said, opponents of legalization in the what....9 states that have votes in November seem as though they're focusing on just that. Which seems disingenuous to me.

They drive very slowly.

Like "maybe it's time to stop driving and take the bus grandpa" slowly.

 

[QuantumBro]

Ahh, the ole "fuck you, got mine"?

protected class privileges ftw, fuck all those who ain't got the king's stamp

Both of you would have good points if the process of getting a med card wasn't just paying $30-40 to speak to a "Doctor" over skype for five minutes. You'd pay more on the sales taxes of your legal weed.

If the prop was more than just a 'lets pass this now and figure out the hard stuff later' prop than I'd be more in favor of it. Most of the current problems with the medical marijuana system are due to federal laws which this prop can't do anything about.

Prop 64 is up like 60-31. Even if every undecided went against it would still easily pass.



Corporations aren't touching this until its not illegal federally (there's a reason marijuana outfits don't take credit) and it's not "probably" going to pass, it is going to pass. It's so far ahead there's almost no way it would fail; propositions aren't like candidates where they could somehow fuck up on the campaign trail.

We fucked up on prop 8 and 19, so there's always a chance. Though if it does pass, pot will probably be federally legal by the end of Hillary's presidency. I just wish we could get federal legality without it becoming a for profit industry.

And I've actually been to several dispensary that accept credit cards, no idea how they get away with it.

I just think that the marijuana industry

 

[PillarEN]

They drive very slowly.

Like "maybe it's time to stop driving and take the bus grandpa" slowly.

That's not my experience of driving with stoned drivers. They drive the same way they do when not stoned. Only more paranoid.

 

[noshten]

I don't really buy that regular marijuana smokers who drive are any more dangerous than a non-impaired individual. That's just personal experience but I've not really felt in danger while someone was driving under marijuana's influence.

This obviously is my personal experience but people who are regular smokers and experienced drivers tend to compensate or forgo driving if they feel like they are in a state of mind that doesn't allow them to be fully in control of a vehicle. Something I feel a person who drinks won't be able to differentiate.

First time or occasional smokers shouldn't get behind the wheel however.

 

[RumblingRosco]

I was literally considering switching to AAA. Seriously this is reason enough for me to want to not switch.

 

[The_Dama]

IF they were suggesting to vote no on cigarettes, how would you feel?

 

[postmodernism]

And I've actually been to several dispensary that accept credit cards, no idea how they get away with it.

Custom-written payments systems that mask the origin of the sale. I've talked to a couple places like this; one was kicked off Square and had their own (less convenient, but still workable) CC solution ready to go that very same day, and another had one written by an employee before they ever opened. Both continue to use them successfully to this day, and AmEx doesn't seem to mind as long as I pay my bills.

There's a reason it gets billed as "Delivery Service" or "Pharmacy", etc. on your CC statement and not "The Marijuana Emporium".

 

[.JayZii]

Good thing nobody likes their insurance company.

 

[Movement]

IF they were suggesting to vote no on cigarettes, how would you feel?

Are you asking me? In this scenario are cigarettes illegal and I'm voting on whether to legalize them? What does this mean.

 

[univariate]

IF they were suggesting to vote no on cigarettes, how would you feel?

The point is that AAA is disingenuously targeting marijuana and not substances that actually impair drivers (i.e. alcohol, prescription medicine, etc...) .

 

[xxracerxx]

The point is that AAA is disingenuously targeting marijuana and not substances that actually impair drivers (i.e. alcohol, prescription medicine, etc...) .

I am all for legal weed (and voted it in, in my state), but the bolded has me scratching my head.

 

[Hypron]

The point is that AAA is disingenuously targeting marijuana and not substances that actually impair drivers (i.e. alcohol, prescription medicine, etc...) .

Weed does impair drivers though. It's not a reason to keep marijuana illegal, but people need to be aware that you shouldn't smoke and drive, just like you shouldn't drink and drive.

 

[Dusk Soldier]

That's not my experience of driving with stoned drivers. They drive the same way they do when not stoned. Only more paranoid.

come to think of it, I have driven with stoners that didn't drive like geriatrics.

I shouldn't stereotype. But yeah some people do slow down a bunch cause of paranoia when high.

 

[Cyan]

It's real hard to hang your hat on these stats collected before marijuana was regulated though. Regulating marijuana could very well change the characteristics of the pool of marijuana users.

Is it though? Is the expectation here that with legalized marijuana, enough people who don't drink normally would start using marijuana that it overcame the drunk driving/high driving substitution effect?

 

[univariate]

Weed does impair drivers though. It's not a reason to keep marijuana illegal, but people need to be aware that you shouldn't smoke and drive, just like you shouldn't drink and drive.

I didn't phrase my post correctly. I meant to say that the insurance company should target substances that cause serious impairment. Marijuana does impair, but unlike alcohol, it does not cause one to blackout. Drunk driving is a serious epidemic in this country, so it makes little sense to go after marijuana like this.

 

[Movement]

I didn't phrase my post correctly. I meant to say that the insurance company should target substances that cause serious impairment. Marijuana does impair, but unlike alcohol, it does not cause one to blackout. Drunk driving is a serious epidemic in this country, so it makes little sense to go after marijuana like this.

Which is why I'm questioning their reasoning behind this and am upset by it.

 

[The Artisan]

I am all for legal weed (and voted it in, in my state), but the bolded has me scratching my head.

marijuana definitely impairs that's not even a question. but it does not impair you nearly as bad as alcohol.

 

[SmackCrackleNPop]

That's some bullsht. Are they high?

 

[Phobophile]

I'm hoping legal weed will kill annoying weed culture.

It's ok, vape culture has supplanted stoner culture.

 

[Skellig Gra]

From their perspective it makes perfect sense.

 

[Version 3.0]

My nephew told me this joke: drunk drivers are dangerous; they will run a stop sign and hit you. Stoned drivers are not; they just sit there, waiting for it to turn green.

 

[NsirhC]

This is the most unsurprising thing I've seen from a large corporate company.

Money speaks louder than the (medical) truth, and of course as already mentioned, accident rates. More money for the 1% is never a bad thing (when you're part of the 1%).

Spoiler

To be honest, anytime I've been on cannabis and driving, I found myself to be an extremely safe driver. Of course, I had a high tolerance, so I DO NOT recommend ANYONE take a narcotic and drive. It's dangerous

 

[Vex_]

Of course they would. Marijuana has medical benefits. Health insurers wouldnt want people self medicating now would they?

 

[entremet]

Makes sense.

 

[Phobophile]

From their perspective it makes perfect sense.

From their perspective, the Jedi are evil.

 

[karasu]

hoe, don't do it.

 

[benjipwns]

Are they going to say no to alcohol as well?

I hope AAA is also lobbying against alcohol but with a thousand times intensity.

Hint, they're not.

.

The point is that AAA is disingenuously targeting marijuana and not substances that actually impair drivers (i.e. alcohol, prescription medicine, etc...) .

One is on the ballot while the other isn't. There's that reason for commenting according to regulatory demands.

Both of you would have good points if the process of getting a med card wasn't just paying $30-40 to speak to a "Doctor" over skype for five minutes.

This is far more cumbersome than acquiring an ID to vote, and only in one case does not having the proper papers land a person in jail. (Probably.) I assume you'd be voting for such a ballot initiative?

I just wish we could get federal legality without it becoming a for profit industry.

Yeah, accounting practices for tax purposes are definitely the thing to put a priority on in this case.