Like many Wisconsinites, we here at Cannabadger Media are thrilled that adult-use cannabis sales commenced in Illinois January 1, 2020. While preliminary reports found cannabis products priced fairly high and taxes adding an additional 35% or so to the cost, having a legal, publicly accessible source for cannabis at numerous locations in the state is a godsend to Wisconsin patients seeking to see if cannabis might work for them.
The Wisconsin State Journal recently published a letter to the editor I wrote about another likely benefit of Illinois approving adult-use cannabis. As cannabis and alcohol are substitutes for each other, research found that alcohol-related crashes went down in Idaho after Washington state legalized adult-use cannabis sales. I believe we will see the same effect in Wisconsin!
Legal pot may reduce drunken driving -- Gary Storck
https://madison.com/wsj/opinion/letters/legal-pot-may-reduce-drunken-dri...
With Illinois set to legalize retail sales of marijuana to adults on Jan. 1, 2020, some Wisconsin sheriffs and police chiefs near the Wisconsin border with Illinois have been telling news media how worried they are, frequently citing concerns about impaired driving.
A new study by Dr. Benjamin Hansen from Utah's Center For Growth And Opportunity found that after Washington state legalized cannabis sales for adults, the number of crashes involving alcohol in neighboring Idaho declined 18%. The effect is most pronounced in counties closest to the Washington border.
In the Idaho counties directly bordering Washington, crashes were down 21%. For counties an hour from the border, crashes involving alcohol dropped 18%. Counties three hours away saw a 10% reduction, and those six hours away saw no reduction.
Researchers believe the study suggests cannabis and alcohol are substitutes. As cannabis becomes easier to access, consumers drink less, resulting in fewer alcohol-related car crashes in Idaho.
So given these results, it is reasonable to consider that cannabis legalization in Illinois will have a positive impact on neighboring states such as Wisconsin, where marijuana remains illegal. For law enforcement, this means fewer crashes, not more, and safer streets in communities as far away as a three-hour drive from the border.
Gary Storck,
Madison
