Posted on 08/20/2014 12:29:30 PM PDT by DouglasKC
SNIP
As I reported a few weeks ago, some professors published a peer-reviewed article on the negative social costs to outright legalization. I noted that although overall traffic fatalities in Colorado have gone down since 2007, they went up by 100 percent for operators testing positive for marijuanafrom 39 in 2007 to 78 in 2012. (Colorado legalized marijuana for medical usage in 2009, before legalizing marijuana for other uses in 2012.) Furthermore, in 2007, those pot-positive drivers represented only 7 percent of total fatalities in Colorado, but in 2012 they represented 16 percent of total Colorado fatalities.
This new report paints an even bleaker picture of what is happening in Colorado since it legalized the possession, sale, and consumption of marijuana.
SNIP
1. The majority of DUI drug arrests involve marijuana and 25 to 40 percent were marijuana alone.
2. In 2012, 10.47 percent of Colorado youth ages 12 to 17 were considered current marijuana users compared to 7.55 percent nationally. Colorado ranked fourth in the nation, and was 39 percent higher than the national average.
3. Drug-related student suspensions/expulsions increased 32 percent from school years 2008-09 through 2012-13, the vast majority were for marijuana violations.
4. In 2012, 26.81 percent of college age students were considered current marijuana users compared to 18.89 percent nationally, which ranks Colorado third in the nation and 42 percent above the national average.
5. In 2013, 48.4 percent of Denver adult arrestees tested positive for marijuana, which is a 16 percent increase from 2008.
6. From 2011 through 2013 there was a 57 percent increase in marijuana-related emergency room visits.
7. Hospitalizations related to marijuana has increased 82 percent since 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailysignal.com ...
Some people think we are suffocating in marijuana smoke since legalization up here in WA State (actually it is forest fire smoke). In fact, I have yet to smell the stuff. Public mj smoking is illegal anyway. I guess many vape now, but I’m not seeing vapes either. My town and virtually all the other small towns around here (eastern WA) have banned recreational pot stores. Only one town has one and it is 30 miles away.
How’s the WOD working for you? Which is worse?
It’s hard for a stoner to get in a fatal wreck while he is sitting at a stop sign waiting for it to turn green.
;^)
Dude?
If the POS died of Crack that's his problem. Farking up society isn't
the answer to stupidity. Maybe in Idiocracy where everyone is expect to be
equally stupid.
What were we talking about again?
Pun? Or serendipitous?
Exactly what I thought. Legalization is stupid, unless you MAKE users take full responsibility for their actions. I knew what the outcome would be because the USA has become a country that refuses to hold people accountable.
The windshield wipers.....there they go again!
The latter.
Next thing you know, they'll be clamoring for Holder to come in and enforce the federal MJ prohibition laws in Colorado (10th Amendment be damned). Commerce Clause, doncha know ...
I would be ok with MJ legalization on the following conditions.
1. Employers have the right to test employees at any time and fire them at anytime if they are caught using.
2. Users are banned from welfare or any other benefits.
I’m a proponent for legalization, but it is kind of hard to argue those numbers.
Amendment 64 was not enacted until the very end of 2012. Something to keep in mind since the cited stats appear to track things before the change in law went into effect.
These stats are awesome,
Unfortunately every single one of them predates the actual legalization, which did not take effect until 1/1/14.
The title of the article is simply wrong.
Expect it to get worse. The Potheads on FR will be making even more excuses.
I’m waiting for the “those stats mean nothing” crowd any min.
<><><<
Nope. the stats mean what they mean.
but it was not legal in colorado until 1/1/14. Not sure how stats from before legalization can be used to bolster the anti-legalization argument.
All of these stats were facts before legalization so the title of the article is more than a bit misleading.
But...but...but...!
No, that's just when retail sales started.
Otherwise, legalization happened in December 2012.
Still, your point about many of these stats being from before the law went into effect are correct.
but it’s non addictive and pure man.. it’s not a carceno... wha? yeah, it’s okay to inhale the unfiltered smoke from a burning bud laced with a black tarry substance because it’s pot man, it’s not bad for your lungs man.. it’s non-carcenog... wait, wha?
nachos..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.