To “suss out” is an expression I’ve heard here in the American midwest since my earliest childhood. Maybe it’s used differently in the UK, but the use in this article is perfectly acceptable colloquial American English.

For those trying to argue ‘compare the number of drunk driving deaths last year to the number of stoned driving deaths’ give it a rest. You can’t compare the two. The only way one could compare those two is to take into account the ratio of people drinking versus those who use pot. There are WAYYYYYY more people who drive drunk than there are who get stoned and drive.

The stereoptype of someone who is stoned is someone who is relaxed, calm, at ease, but in control of all their senses. I would argue that being stoned and driving is as dangerous as being drunk and driving. While stoned a persons ability to react and make split second decisions is impaired. Add to that the fact that while stoned many people become drowsy and sleepy. To me, that doesn’t paint the picture of safety either. Simple deductive reasoning: Driving drunk is bad because your senses are impaired. Smoking pot to the point of being stoned impairs the senses and a person’s ability to react and make life saving decisions while also causing drowsiness. Therefore, both drinking while driving and being stoned while driving is dangerous.

They write that they chose those states because the structure of one of the databases they were using changed in 1999, so for consistency, they had to go with states that legalized it after that point. However, there are certainly more than three states in that camp, you’re right.

The paper is actually available for free (check out the link at the end of post) so you can look through it yourself.

Don’t get your panties in an uproar.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/suss

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/suss_out

Common usage includes the “out”. It’s not necessarily “worng”.

So beer sales go down 5% after medical marijuana is legalized, drinking among young people also goes down, and traffic deaths dramatically drop. I wonder what sort of crazy, wacko conclusion we could possibly freaking draw from this.

Also this article failed to mention that there was a larger, negative correlation between medical marijuana and traffic deaths involving high BAC levels (which are very easy to track since they almost always involve police) and deaths during the weekend and at night but there is NO correlation between medical marijuana and traffic deaths not involving alcohol.

Just a bunch of strange correlations.

People who smoke Marijuana are very good drivers, this is “the most comprehensive study ever” on this issue and one again they have come to this conclusion.

Bill Hicks said it best, people should be forced to get high before they drive, it would make for less reckless behavior, road rage, tailgating, etc…

Much Love,

Orph L. Messia

Several of their background statements are incorrect. There is evidence that despite lower the speed with which stone drivers operate their vehicles, they are no more likely to result in crashes. This is apparent across age etc.

Also there is considerable evidence mounting that marijuana use leads to reductions in harmful behavior such as alcohol consumption despite their erroneous presumption otherwise. I believe they are confusing their statistics. There is no evidence that marijuana use among certain demographics such as teens and otherwise healthy adults increases after medical marijuana laws are enacted. What is demonstrated is that sick patients and people that use marijuana as a part of a harm reduction strategy do find it easier to access after these laws and their consumption does go up.

Also, exactly what else would the author attribute the drop in alcohol sales to? With so many people publicly stating that they would use one over the other, isn’t fair to assume they are substituting one of the other when they have a choice?

Causation is proved by showing direct mechanisms and I think there is ample evidence to suggest at least some people prefer marijuana over alcohol and will use it when provided legal means to do so. That would be a valid mechanism. IMHO.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20464803

Sex differences in the effects of marijuana on simulated driving performance.
Anderson BM, Rizzo M, Block RI, Pearlson GD, O’Leary DS.
Source

Abstract

In the United States, one in six teenagers has driven under the influence of marijuana. Driving under the influence of marijuana and alcohol is equally prevalent, despite the fact that marijuana use is less common than alcohol use. Much of the research examining the effects of marijuana on driving performance was conducted in the 1970s and led to equivocal findings. During that time, few studies included women and driving simulators were rudimentary. Further, the potency of marijuana commonly used recreationally has increased. This study examined sex differences in the acute effects of marijuana on driving performance using a realistic, validated driving simulator. Eighty-five subjects (n = 50 males, 35 females) participated in this between-subjects, double-blind, placebo controlled study. In addition to an uneventful, baseline segment of driving, participants were challenged with collision avoidance and distracted driving scenarios. Under the influence of marijuana, participants decreased their speed and failed to show expected practice effects during a distracted drive. No differences were found during the baseline driving segment or collision avoidance scenarios. No differences attributable to sex were observed. This study enhances the current literature by identifying distracted driving and the integration of prior experience as particularly problematic under the influence of marijuana.