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Law Enforcement Concerned About Impact Of Marijuana Legalization On Driving

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Marijuana legalization could be on the 2018 ballot.  But people in law enforcement have concerns about potential consequences.

Traffic related deaths are up in Michigan.  Marijuana isn’t the primary cause of this.  But people in law enforcement are concerned that legalizing pot will cause the numbers to go up even higher. 

Mark Reene is president of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.  He says legalized states - like Colorado –  have seen an increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths.

“What’s the aftermath? You know we have that example, and it’s the state of Colorado. And it’s not an example we want to follow.”

A study by a government task forcetracked the impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado.  It found that pot-related traffic deaths increased by almost half since legalization.  Other studies have found no changes or a decrease in marijuana fatalities in legalized states. 

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—Cheyna Roth is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network.  Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

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