Good idea to weigh impact of pot proposal

OKLAHOMANS are expected to vote on an initiative to legalize medical marijuana next year. Rep. John Paul Jordan, R-Yukon, has requested that lawmakers study the possible policy implications of that vote.

That’s a good idea, and it’s welcome news that lawmakers are thinking ahead on this issue.

In his study request, Jordan said lawmakers should review whether any “policies and procedures need to be put in place” prior to a public vote on the proposal in case of its passage. He wants lawmakers to review the practices other states have adopted, including licensing structure.

“This study is not to debate the merits of SQ 788 as that will be decided by the voters,” Jordan wrote. He said the study’s “main job is to determine what action (if any) is needed prior to the vote.”

One issue lawmakers should review is the impact of marijuana legalization on public safety, a potential challenge highlighted by a recent report from Washington state.

The AAA Foundation for Public Safety has examined the rates of cannabis use among Washington drivers suspected of driving under the influence or who were involved in collisions.

In 2012, Washington voters approved Initiative 502, legalizing recreational use of marijuana. Even before passage of that measure, drug use among drivers was a problem. But passage of the marijuana law didn’t improve things, as can be seen in the prevalence of tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal psychoactive component in marijuana, detected in Washington drivers via blood tests.

“Analysis of trends over time before and after Initiative 502 took effect indicate that the proportion of drivers positive for THC was generally flat before Initiative 502, but began increasing significantly approximately 9 months after the effective date of Initiative 502,” AAA reported.

The report found that 10 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in Washington between 2010 and 2014 had detectable THC in their blood at the time of the crash. Most notably, both the raw number and proportion of impaired drivers doubled from 2013 to 2014, increasing from 8.3 percent in 2013 to 17 percent in 2014.

AAA found that between 2005 and 2014, the proportion of DUI and collision cases where drivers tested positive for THC, excluding those positive for alcohol, increased from 20 percent to 30 percent. The prevalence of THC among drivers “continued to grow” after passage of the marijuana measure in 2012, AAA reports.

“These findings indicate that THC-involved driving is relatively common, appears to be increasing and is likely underestimated given the generally protracted time until a blood specimen is obtained,” AAA reported.

Some may object that Washington legalized recreational use of marijuana and Oklahomans will consider only “medical” use. In practice, that has often been a difference with little distinction. Medical marijuana laws are often so broadly written that few people are barred from using the drug.

Washington’s experience suggests Oklahoma may need to significantly increase funding for police and highway patrol to better target impaired drivers if the marijuana measures passes, and that there will be other fiscal and societal costs created by those reckless drivers.

That’s information lawmakers, and voters, should take into account before next year’s election.