South Dakota isn’t ready for hemp, Governor Kristi Noem said in her illogical, still inexplicable justifications for vetoing of two industrial hemp bills this month.
Funny thing is, we could eliminate all of the enforcement complications that burred Noem’s saddle if we just did what John Dale proposes with his latest initiative petition and legalized marijuana. Not only would we have to worry about the drug dogs distinguishing hemp from pot, but also we would save $3.1 million dollars:
Decriminalizing marijuana would save $3,150,000 in prison costs and $1,500,000 in jail costs, based primarily on 2018 data.
It would also, however, cost $1,500,000 for the state to regulate, and would increase state Medicaid costs by $50,000, due to increased vehicle crashes.
The net impact is $3,100,000 in savings [Legislative Research Council, fiscal note to John Dale’s marijuana initiative, 2019.03.04].
More car crashes? Yup, that’s legit:
Car crashes were up as much as 6 percent in states where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, said two studies.
According to research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute, the frequency of collision claims filed to insurers were higher in four states where marijuana is legal: Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
…A separate study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety focused on police-reported crashes before and after retail marijuana was allowed found Colorado, Oregon and Washington saw a 5.2 percent increase in the rate of crashes per million vehicle registrations, compared with neighboring states [Brett Molina, “States with Legal Marijuana See Rise in Car Crashes, Studies Find,” USA Today, 2018.10.19].
I already have enough people dazed by their cell phones swerving my way on the road; I’m in no hurry to add another distraction behind the wheel. But wave that $3.1 million in income-tax-forestalling savings in front of the Legislature, and some Republicans might hurry to vote for Dale’s proposal. We could use the savings to support a low-interest loan to help my friend Ken Meyer build the world’s largest hemp-processing factory in Winfred. Proceed to smoke weed to meet fiscal need!
Not comparing apples to apples in car crashes
How about revelance to increased traffic in said states
Increase in traffic increase in crashed
To state otherwise is slanted study
Increased traffic is probably considered impaired if pot is involved. People should get a stiff fine for driving impaired and should indulge in the privacy of their own homes for everyone’s safety.
If you save all the money for prison and jail costs, you put attorney’s and cops out of the racket business. Can’t have that. As far as the car wrecks go, how much damage can you do at 20 mph?
Did the traffic increase uniquely in the pot states and not in the nearby non-pot states?
I’d think more pot would mean less driving, since folks chill out and stay home.
No one ever said, “conservatanicalism saves taxpayer dollars” because it just never does.
Increased traffic due to legalization and tourism
Did not mean increased “impaired “ traffic
And another thing that skews these studies
Different events non related factors included with the pot studies
I saw a recent study claiming increase chances for Alzheimer’s because of marijuana use
That’s BS
https://gizmodo.com/why-increased-pot-use-in-colorado-is-sending-more-peopl-1833582402
stats reported but………………caveats abound.
Well MFI
I agree w this study as increase visits
If you talk with anyone from WA they will tell you CO doesn’t weigh or monitor their 10 mg very well so someone will drink all the 30 mg soda in one sitting and won’t wait for it to kick in thinking it’s not working and eat an edible
Then one hour later think they need to go to er
Too many inexperienced users and the 10 dosage
Wa specifically make sure 10 is each chocolate bar square co doesn’t so watch out
I’m not a fan Of weed or alcohol but think if one is legal the other should be as well
There r no dosages on alcohol when you buy a bottle so the weed industry is more careful
And ahead as far as I’m concerned
Your headline is wrong, which is a sign that the report is achieving its underlying disinformation goal.
The report in USA Today states there was a “5.2 percent increase in the rate of crashes per million vehicle registrations, compared with neighboring states”. This is _NOT_ a 5.2 increase in accidents. It’s 5.2 percent increase in the accident rate vis-a-vis the accident rate in neighboring states (which don’t have comparable urban/rural mixes). Simple numerical example: If the Oregon crash rate increased 1% and the Idaho crash rate increased .95%, this is roughly a 5% increase in Oregon with regards to its neighbor. Not in any way, shape, or form a 5% increase in car accidents.
Do you smell the floral notes from the output of a male cow’s digestive system yet?
I have no disinformation goal, Paul. If I read the study wrong, I apologize. I’m just saying that LRC says legalizing pot will save the state money but increase the rate of car crashes. Are the budget savings worth the human cost?
Now, imputation of false agenda aside, Paul, I’m not sure your interpretation of the numbers is correct. Let’s look at the original study:
The y-axis is labeled “Change in Crashes per Million Registrations.” Over the period surveyed, after controlling for demographics, weather, and economic conditions, the study found that crashes per million went down 1% in non-pot states and went up a bit over 4% in crash states. That tells me that legalizing pot caused the pot states to have 5.2% more crashes per million registrations than they would have if they hadn’t legalized pot. That’s the conclusion LRC uses in its calculations of Medicaid costs.
I’m not trying to disinform or be dense or even advocate one way or the other. I’m just trying to make sense of the data.
The Council of Legislatures should have concluded the -1% in Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana came from some of the bad-driving stoners who used to be on the roads of those states moving to Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, where they can partake with dilated, bloodshot eyes as they cruise erratically in their bling-bling low-riders with tasseballs and fuzzy pink steering wheel covers without fear of the man. The demon weed is bad, it is bad.
Cow cows don’t fart?
CH
I understand the logic behind the data
But I want all the data needed for these studies
Did more teens get licenses? Did more tourist move to the state, did more immigrants register? All I’m saying factors for accident increase could be more than legalization
Take Nevada for example you can’t even afford insurance there if you live there because if auto accident rates
It’s like saying our Sd rates increased because
If fireworks are legal all year round
We all know the crazy drivers that come out for sparklers now
How many stereotypes can fit into one sentence?
Insurance institute is funded by insurance companies I smell An excuse for rate hikes
Why wouldn’t they also want to cash in on this industry