New Study Shows Marijuana Use Does Not Cause Traffic Accidents

There is no direct causal connection between marijuana consumption and an increased risk of involvement in traffic accidents, says a report by the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies prepared for the hearing of the Knesset Committee of Drug and Alcohol Abuse which will be held today. The report refutes a host of other myths associated with the use of soft drugs.

The report presents an updated status of marijuana consumption in Israel and the potential effects of its legalization. According to the report, marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and prescription drugs. Alcohol consumption, for example, increases the risk of being involved in accidents three to four times.

The Jerusalem Institute is also trying to disprove the notion that marijuana leads to the use of hard drugs. Research presented in the report shows that in states that support non-incrimination or legalization of marijuana, there was a decrease in the use of hard drugs.

The findings suggest that marijuana use is common among all demographics and the rate is even higher among those with a university education, people with average incomes and higher. According to a survey by the the research institute and information that was published last month, the rate of marijuana use among those aged 18-40 increased in the last year from 7.6% to 10.2%.

The report by Corinne Sauer, Maya Duec, and Rebecca Sauer also showed that among adolescents in their final years of high school, the rate of use was 5.9% in the last year. The Institute believes that criminalizing youth reduces their employment and military opportunities.

“The report from the Jerusalem Institute makes an important and substantial correction to some erroneous assumptions that have misled the public for a long time,” said chairwoman of the Committee of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, MK Tamar Zandberg. “The committee will deal with this issue by relying on data and studies that checked the effects of marijuana and its regulation.”

“Many countries around the world are already on the way to non-incrimination and there is no reason not to learn from their experiences on the issue rather than clinging to prejudices,” she added. “The current law turns hundreds of thousands of normal citizens into criminals and it is time to change it.”